Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 38

“What exactly are you talking about?” Kang Jin-ho sighed. His mother was asking the same question for the third time. Yet, Hwang Jung-hoo didn’t show any irritation and began to explain the situation to Baek Hyun-jung again. “So… I had a grandson…” Hwang Jung-hoo’s explanation was as follows: Hwang Jung-hoo had a grandson he had lost, and after searching everywhere, he finally found traces of him, only to discover that he had already died in an accident. Heartbroken, he heard that the boy had a best friend from middle school. While organizing the boy’s belongings, he found a diary that showed how well the boy had treated his grandson. The diary repeatedly mentioned wanting to repay that friend, and upon seeing this, Hwang Jung-hoo came to find Kang Jin-ho to repay him. ‘How pathetic.’ It was pitiful to see Hwang Jung-hoo earnestly explaining such a flimsy scenario that wouldn’t even be used in a melodramatic TV show. Seeing an old man in his seventies sweating profusely to tell such a ridiculous lie made him want to look away. If Kang Jin-ho had been asked to explain, he could have done it several times better. Who would believe such an explanation? Kang Jin-ho was at a loss as to how to handle this situation. But there was an even bigger problem…. “Such a story.” “It’s so touching.” Kang Jin-ho covered his face with his hands. ‘It’s working.’ This absurd scenario was working. Even his younger sister, Kang Eun-young, was shedding tears. ‘Who watches these melodramas…?’ After returning to the modern world, the most incomprehensible thing while watching TV was dramas. There were some decent dramas, but most were melodramas that were hard to watch. He wondered who watched these dramas that had such high ratings, and now he found out that two of those people were in his own family. Hwang Jung-hoo took out a handkerchief and dabbed his eyes. ‘He’s really trying hard.’ Hwang Jung-hoo spoke in a tearful voice. “That’s why I came to find Jin-ho. I want to do for Jin-ho what I couldn’t do for my boy who went ahead. The boy in heaven would want that too.” Kang Jin-ho’s face twitched. Hwang Jung-hoo’s scenario was clumsy, but his preparation was thorough. “So, Myung-duk was…” “My grandson.” It was true that Kang Jin-ho had a close friend in middle school. It was also true that the friend had died in an accident. This friend, with the unusual name of Doo Myung-duk, had visited Kang Jin-ho’s house several times during middle school. But that friend and Hwang Jung-hoo had no connection whatsoever. Even if you traced their lineage to the farthest reaches, they were not related. Later, he found out that Doo Myung-duk was also an adopted child and didn’t know who his biological parents were. Hwang Jung-hoo, having received this information, had created a plausible story. Kang Yu-hwan opened his mouth with a stern face. “Such a story.” ‘Even Father…’ Why wasn’t anyone suspicious? Why didn’t they think it was strange? Kang Jin-ho was dumbfounded, but from their perspective, it was understandable. Lies, fabrication? No matter how flimsy the story was, why would Hwang Jung-hoo, who was so busy, take the time to come to them and tell lies? If it were someone other than Hwang Jung-hoo, they might suspect a scam, but what would Hwang Jung-hoo, the chairman of Jae-kyung Group, gain by scamming Kang Jin-ho’s family? Hwang Jung-hoo’s name itself carried credibility, so what problem would there be with anything he said? Kang Jin-ho didn’t know such a simple fact. Kang Yu-hwan nodded as if he understood everything. “But we cannot accept this money.” “Look here!” Kang Yu-hwan shook his head firmly. “I don’t know what my son did so well, but I don’t think we can accept such a large sum of money. We’ll just accept your kind intentions.” Hwang Jung-hoo seemed slightly taken aback by Kang Yu-hwan’s response. Did this family have no desire for money? They kept refusing even when he offered it. Hwang Jung-hoo had lived his whole life in Korea, where refusing three times was customary. He knew the difference between refusing out of courtesy and refusing sincerely. But Kang Yu-hwan was genuinely refusing. Hwang Jung-hoo glanced at Kang Jin-ho. The corners of Kang Jin-ho’s mouth were curled up. Hwang Jung-hoo gritted his teeth. He had come with great confidence, but he couldn’t back down here. Hwang Jung-hoo pulled out his trump card. “I beg you.” Hwang Jung-hoo bowed his head to the floor. “Oh, Elder, why are you doing this!” “Oh my! Chairman!” Kang Yu-hwan and Baek Hyun-jung tried to lift Hwang Jung-hoo up. But Hwang Jung-hoo remained unmoving. “I couldn’t do anything for my grandson. I lost my grandson because of my mistake, and he died without knowing who his father or grandfather was. If things stay like this, I won’t be able to close my eyes even when I die. So please, let me fulfill even a thousandth of what I wanted to do for my grandson. I beg you.” “Elder, please raise your head first.” “Chairman, why are you doing this!” “Please!” “Alright! I understand! So please get up.” “Really?” Hwang Jung-hoo slowly raised his head. Kang Jin-ho covered his face, watching the comical scene. He couldn’t bear to watch it. He felt like his hands and feet were curling up. “Then please accept this.” Hwang Jung-hoo handed over a bankbook. “…If you insist.” Kang Yu-hwan accepted the bankbook that Hwang Jung-hoo offered. Then, he quietly opened the bankbook. ‘One, one hundred million?’ The bankbook contained a huge sum of one hundred million won. Even if Kang Yu-hwan earned one hundred million won a year, it would take him a hundred years to earn that much money. “No, why so much money!” Hwang Jung-hoo retorted. “Do you think this Hwang Jung-hoo wouldn’t spend a hundred million won on his grandson!” “He was going to inherit the Jae-kyung Group…” Hwang Jung-hoo took out his handkerchief again. Kang Jin-ho sighed deeply, watching Hwang Jung-hoo wipe away non-existent tears. Acting is not about skill, but about perseverance. “How was it?” At Hwang Jung-hoo’s question, Kang Jin-ho answered honestly. “It was painful to watch.” “Heh heh heh, it works if it works. You don’t know, but being too meticulous makes people suspicious. It has to look a little clumsy so that people think, ‘Surely they wouldn’t try to deceive me with something so clumsy,’ and then they fall for it.” “Is that a scam?” “Let’s call it a transaction technique?” “Anyway, it’s a relief.” “Now, this has solved the big problem. There will be some minor issues for a while…” Hwang Jung-hoo quietly looked at Kang Jin-ho and opened his mouth. “Remember this.” “Yes?” “Money brings convenience and power. The more money, the better. But money is like a monster, and if you get swept away by it, you will change.” “You’re worrying too much.” “Do you think I’m worried about you?” “You may not know, but your family members are ordinary people. When ordinary people suddenly come into a large sum of money, problems often arise. You need to maintain balance in the middle.” “I understand.” “Then I’ll be going now. Call me if there’s a problem.” “I will.” “And…” Hwang Jung-hoo hesitated for a moment before speaking. “Since I’ve gone this far, I have a favor to ask…” “Yes.” “Isn’t it difficult for you to contact me directly? So, I was wondering if we could have a middleman…” Kang Jin-ho nodded. He knew what Hwang Jung-hoo intended. Although it was called a middleman, he needed someone to report to him. It was a kind of watchdog. “Let’s do that.” “Thank you for understanding. He’s a useful person, so keep him by your side.” Kang Jin-ho laughed. How was he, a high school student, supposed to use people? “Then.” Hwang Jung-hoo got into the black sedan and slowly disappeared from the alley. Kang Jin-ho watched the scene and went inside the house. He expected the house to be in chaos… but it was calmer than he thought. Kang Yu-hwan was staring intently at the bankbook on the table, and Baek Hyun-jung was looking at Kang Yu-hwan with a sulky face. Only Kang Eun-young had a slightly excited expression. “Did you see him off?” “Yes.” “Sit down for a moment.” “Yes.” Kang Jin-ho sat on the floor. “About this money…” “Yes.” “I think we should leave it as it is for now.” “Why?” “It’s money we received from someone else, and we don’t know when Chairman Hwang might change his mind. It’s not money we earned fairly. Besides, we can’t easily accept such a large sum of money.” “But we’ve already received it.” “What could we do when he went that far? Still, this is a bit…” Kang Jin-ho shook his head. “It’s a huge sum for us.” “Hmm?” “If Father were in Chairman Hwang’s position, wouldn’t he give a million won to that child’s family?” “I would! I would have accepted a million won without hesitation.” “That’s it.” “It’s different from that.” “It’s no different. Our family’s total assets wouldn’t even reach 100 million won, but Chairman Hwang’s assets exceed trillions. If you include his hidden assets, it would be much more.” “So, what we received is actually about thirty or forty thousand won? That’s how we should see it.” Kang Eun-young pouted. “Thinking about it that way, it’s kind of stingy! I could give at least ten million won!” Baek Hyun-jung slapped Kang Eun-young on the back. “This kid doesn’t know the value of money!” “Ouch! I’m just saying!” Kang Jin-ho persuaded Kang Yu-hwan. “If we just left that thirty thousand won there, like it was some sacred object, wouldn’t you feel uncomfortable?” “…I guess not.” “So, use it. It’s right to use it.” Kang Yu-hwan nodded. “Listening to you, it seems more appropriate to do that.” “Yes.” “Alright. Then let’s accept the favor as a favor.” At Kang Yu-hwan’s words, Kang Eun-young and Baek Hyun-jung cheered. “Yay! I’m going to buy a bag!” “You! Your father’s car comes first! Then your mother’s clothes!” “Mom, you have so many clothes!” “I have nothing to wear! Nothing!” Kang Jin-ho smiled at the scene. Hwang Jung-hoo was right. You could be happy without money, but with money, you could be happier more comfortably. “Then, I’ll go in.” “You look tired.” “I am a little.” “Yes, you must be tired after all this. Get some rest early.” Kang Jin-ho said goodbye and went into his room and lay down on the bed. Everything seemed to be resolved, but there was still a big problem left for Kang Jin-ho. “Hmm…” Kang Jin-ho put his hand in his pants pocket and took out a slightly crumpled bankbook. The bankbook that Hwang Jung-hoo had given to his father was a different one. The bankbook for Kang Jin-ho was in Kang Jin-ho’s possession. Now, a big problem had arisen. “Where should I use it?” Kang Jin-ho sighed deeply. Even with money, there were problems.