Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 296

The general assembly was in chaos.

Early in the morning, Chairman Lee Jung-geol had gathered the executives and declared that he would step down from his position. He announced that he would become a director, and that Bang Jin-hoon, currently a director, would take his place as chairman.

It was a shocking turn of events.

Everyone knew that Bang Jin-hoon and Lee Jung-geol were bitter rivals. Anyone with even a slight interest in the upper echelons of the general assembly would know this.

Yet, he was handing over the chairman’s position to none other than Bang Jin-hoon.

This was tantamount to Lee Jung-geol surrendering to Bang Jin-hoon.

No one had expected this at all.

This was because, at least on the surface, the chairman seemed to have more power than Director Bang Jin-hoon. Yet, here he was, making a sudden surrender.

This completely unexpected situation caused the general assembly to stir.

Those who wanted to get on the good side of Bang Jin-hoon, who had emerged as the new center of power, were peeking around his office, while those who wanted to know what had happened to the chairman were peeking around the chairman’s office, where he might still be.

However, the two people at the center of the commotion were ignoring everyone’s reactions and had left the general assembly separately.

Click!

Bang Jin-hoon lit Lee Jung-geol’s cigarette.

Lee Jung-geol took a deep drag of the cigarette, exhaled, and sneered.

“You were talking about being a martial artist, but you sure do smoke.”

“Isn’t that how it is?”

“Tsk, tsk.”

Lee Jung-geol clicked his tongue.

“If a man in his prime smokes like that, his stamina will decline. If you’re going to do great things, you should take care of your body. You might not notice it now, but in ten years, the difference will be huge.”

“You smoke too, Chairman.”

“I’m about to kick the bucket, so why would I stress about my health? I’ll just go as I am. And I’m not the chairman anymore.”

“…Then what should I call you?”

“Well? That’s…

Lee Jung-geol laughed and said,

‘Brother’ is a bit much, and I can’t call you ‘Uncle.'”

“I’ll just call you ‘Chairman’ for a while.”

“That won’t do. For now, call me ‘Director.'”

“Somehow… it doesn’t quite roll off the tongue.”

“Others use titles to understand relationships. Respect is good, but you shouldn’t show that you’re uncomfortable.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Bang Jin-hoon bowed his head lightly.

It was a gesture of respect for his senior and mentor, who had decided to stay and help him instead of leaving the assembly.

“It seems like there’s quite a commotion.”

“Wouldn’t there be?”

Many people knew that Bang Jin-hoon and Lee Jung-geol were headed for a showdown, but few imagined that they were secretly trying to fight each other to the death.

The ability to make that crucial decision is the defining difference between those who lead and those who merely watch.

In that sense, both Bang Jin-hoon and Lee Jung-geol were worthy of being the chairman of the general assembly, regardless of who won.

“It won’t be easy.”

“I know.”

“The position of chairman of the general assembly is a real headache. You have to lead people who have nothing left but their pride, so they oppose everything you try to do. They oppose and oppose again.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“It’s not just you. Everyone’s like that. It’s just a matter of whether they say it or not.”

Lee Jung-geol chuckled as if he was enjoying the situation.

“It’s refreshing to think that you’ll be dealing with that now. It was actually too hard for me all this time.”

“If it was so hard, you should have passed it on sooner.”

“…You’re right. I don’t know why I held on to it for so long. It was going to end up like this anyway. Now that I think about it, it’s only been a day since I let go, and I feel so much lighter. If I had known it would be like this, I would have handed it over sooner and gone to flirt with some pretty old ladies.”

“It’s only been a day for me, and I already feel bloated.”

“Already?”

“When I came out of the conference room earlier, the people who had been friendly to me were all glaring at me with dissatisfied faces. I didn’t expect them to change their attitude so suddenly.”

“That’s what it’s like to be at the top. They’ll accept the situation and adapt after a little more time. It’s never a pleasant feeling for anyone when someone they thought was their equal surpasses them.”

“I suppose so.”

“You’ll probably have a lot to do.”

Lee Jung-geol was genuinely worried about Bang Jin-hoon.

It was ridiculous to worry about someone you had been trying to kill just yesterday, but that was how difficult the situation Bang Jin-hoon was in.

‘It’s no ordinary task.’

Internally, he had to appease and absorb the forces under Lee Jung-geol who still didn’t recognize him, as well as those who were resentful of him. Externally, he had to resolve the conflict with the Yeongnam Association [a regional group or faction].

He also had to deal with the provocations from Japan, which would surely try to cause trouble.

‘And the Yeongnam Association is also entangled with China.’

If he wasn’t careful, even if he unified the Yeongnam Association, Korea could become a battleground between China and Japan. It was a precarious tightrope walk.

“I’m sorry.”

“Yes?”

“The situation was already complicated, and I’ve made things worse. I don’t know why I did such a foolish thing.”

“It’s not your fault.”

Bang Jin-hoon said firmly.

“From what I know, even if you hadn’t made a move, they would have found some excuse to try to exert influence in Korea. I’ve already heard some related information.”

“Hmm…”

“Times are changing. It’s no longer an era where you can protect your life by quietly living out of sight. We need to be more proactive.”

“You might be right.”

Lee Jung-geol nodded slowly.

“Times are changing. Yes.”

And the symbol of that era was none other than Kang Jin-ho.

A man who had appeared out of nowhere and turned the Korean martial arts world upside down.

With someone like that appearing, the Korean martial arts world would never be the same.

“It’s a crisis.”

“It’s also an opportunity.”

Bang Jin-hoon grinned.

“Actually, I’m not too worried about the things you mentioned, Chairman. Once you see Kang Jin-ho in person, all your complaints will disappear.”

“Are you going to put him in the forefront?”

“Is that not okay?”

“He’s a demon.”

“Yes. And now, that’s not important anymore.”

“Don’t you know what a demon is?”

“Chairman.”

Bang Jin-hoon said with a stern face.

“Someone who moves with their own will, without being consumed by bloodlust, is not a demon. It’s the 21st century. We should judge people by their actions, not by what martial arts they’ve mastered.”

“Hmm…”

“I’m fully aware of the risks. But it’s not like we can just lock him away in a warehouse because he’s dangerous, is it?”

It was a different way of thinking than Lee Jung-geol’s.

But…

‘I have to accept it.’

Now, it wasn’t Bang Jin-hoon who had to follow Lee Jung-geol’s opinion, but Lee Jung-geol who had to adjust to Bang Jin-hoon’s opinion and reduce the risks.

“I understand what you mean. I’ll think about that part a little more.”

“Yes, Chairman.”

Bang Jin-hoon took a deep drag of his cigarette.

“You feel it too, don’t you, Chairman?”

“What are you talking about?”

“He’s an influential person.”

“He doesn’t attract people with good words and actions, but just by looking at his back, you feel like you want to follow him.”

“You’re talking like a girl in love. At your age.”

“Hehehe.”

Bang Jin-hoon, who had burst into laughter, nodded.

“Men may not be able to have fiery love like boys when they get older, but the admiration a man has for another man has nothing to do with age, does it?”

“…You’re good with words.”

Although he was trying to brush it off, Lee Jung-geol couldn’t deny that he had felt something similar. Since meeting Kang Jin-ho, Lee Jung-geol, who had been a politician, was reviving his martial spirit.

“It’s going to be a tough road.”

“I know.”

“Even so, it’s a good thing to have a back you can trust and follow.”

If he had been able to see such a back sooner, he wouldn’t have gone down such a strange path. Lee Jung-geol felt a mix of bitterness and hope.

“So, what is that guy, no, that person doing right now?”

“He’s probably resting from the fierce battle yesterday, isn’t he?”

“It was a tough job.”

“He must be worried about the future too.”

“Hmm…”

Lee Jung-geol nodded deeply.

Kang Jin-ho frowned.

He was so deep in thought that he couldn’t help but wonder if he had ever worried this much recently.

The world sometimes threw many difficult problems at him, but everyone was able to find their own solutions.

There was always a way.

But the problem Kang Jin-ho had now was not that there was no way, but that there were too many ways.

“It’s difficult.”

Joo Young-gi frowned.

“Difficult?”

Park Yu-min’s reaction wasn’t good either.

“It seems like you can just do anything.”

“It’s not that easy.”

“…Decide like a man.”

“Hmm.”

Joo Young-gi said, looking at Kang Jin-ho, who was lost in thought, as if he was dumbfounded.

“Dude! How hard is it to add one more menu? How long are you going to live on just bulgogi and combination?”

“There’s pepperoni too.”

“Ugh.”

Kang Jin-ho was agonizing with the expression of someone facing a life-or-death enemy.

Adding a fourth pizza was by no means an easy task.

“I’m taking suggestions.”

Kang Jin-ho, who couldn’t make a decision, finally asked for help.

“Do that one, that one. Hot chicken? I see a lot of pizza places doing spicy pizzas these days?”

“Sado [a type of Korean dish].”

“Sado, my foot!”

“Then how about Hawaiian pizza?”

“Hawaiian?”

Kang Jin-ho tilted his head at Park Yu-min’s words. Hawaiian pizza? It was a type of pizza he had never tried before.

“Yeah. Simply put, it’s pineapple pizza…”

Kang Jin-ho’s eyes trembled.

“You put fruit on pizza?”

“Yeah. They sell a lot of it?”

“…Fruit? You said fruit?”

The world was going crazy.

What was pizza?

It was bread with sauce and cheese on top. But to put fruit on that bread? What was this all about!

“If it’s fruit, then is there strawberry pizza too?”

“…I’ve never heard of it, but it sounds delicious?”

“Don’t give your opinion.”

Kang Jin-ho started openly ignoring him, and Park Yu-min lowered his head with a hurt expression.

“Okay, dude. That was a bit much. Even so, how can you put fruit on pizza? Who eats grilled pineapple? What are you, a caveman?”

If an ordinary person went to a place where people with three eyes were gathered, they would be treated like a freak for having two eyes. Park Yu-min was feeling that fact deeply right now.

‘I should have kept my mouth shut.’

These guys were running a pizza place.

“What are you worrying about so much?”

“You told us to add a new pizza menu, right?” Jung Soo-yeon said, sounding dumbfounded.

“Are you getting so worked up over that right now?”

“No, this guy is saying weird things!”

“You’re the weird one! Pineapple pizza exists!”

“Is he on drugs? He’s talking nonsense.”

Jung Soo-yeon sighed deeply as she watched the three of them bickering. She felt like she understood why they said that men were just kids no matter how old they got.