Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 493

‘A check?’

It’s not unusual for a check to appear.

There are countless gifts and rewards in the world, but the best of them all is, without a doubt, money.

Moreover, the Chinese are a people with the most practical and advanced gift-giving culture in the world, wrapping money in red envelopes [hongbao] as gifts. So, it’s not at all strange that a check would appear when the word ‘compensation’ is mentioned.

What was strange wasn’t the check itself, but the amount written on it.

‘How many zeros are there?’

Choi Dong-hyuk, having confirmed that the amount on the check far exceeded his monthly salary, unconsciously took a step back.

“Oh, no, I can’t accept this.”

“You must accept it.”

The Chinese man who handed over the check said firmly.

“Mr. Bator told me to compensate you. If I fail to deliver this, I will have failed to carry out Mr. Bator’s orders. That can never happen.”

“Ah, even so…”

“Please accept it.”

‘Isn’t this bribery?’

Choi Dong-hyuk unconsciously looked around.

Of course, there was no reason for people who had no connection to him to give him a bribe. Furthermore, Choi Dong-hyuk wasn’t in a position to receive bribes from others. So, it was definitely not a bribe.

However, Choi Dong-hyuk had never experienced such a large sum of money changing hands, so he couldn’t help but shrink back.

“R-really, is it okay to accept this?”

“It’s fine.”

The man smiled gently and said,

“Rather, if you don’t accept this, Mr. Bator will be disappointed.”

Just who was this Bator person that he would offer such a large sum of money for something so trivial?

It was something that even a national dignitary wouldn’t easily do…

They said that Chinese tycoons were on a different level from Korean tycoons, and their generosity was indeed continental.

“Then, I’ll accept it without further ado.”

Choi Dong-hyuk accepted the check that the man offered with trembling hands.

He barely received a bonus of 300,000 won [approximately $225 USD] after working his butt off, and now, the check in his hand was several dozen times that amount. As he thought about it, a sense of joy mixed with dissatisfaction towards his boss surged within him.

“Thank you for your kindness.”

The man bowed deeply.

“Ah, no. I should be the one thanking you.”

“Then.”

The man turned around coldly, as if his business was done, and began to run towards the direction his group had gone earlier.

‘That looks like the entrance for official vehicles…’

Someone who spends this much money so freely and travels in first class was no ordinary person, but the fact that they were using an official vehicle confirmed it.

‘Just who are they?’

Choi Dong-hyuk stared blankly at the man in the suit as he walked away.

“Hurry and go to the examination hall.”

The man, who had shown the utmost courtesy just a moment ago, urged Choi Dong-hyuk in a slightly stiff tone.

Choi Dong-hyuk, thinking about how terribly they discriminated against people, walked into the examination hall.

“Was your trip comfortable?”

“The seat was cramped.”

“I apologize. We should have prepared a private jet. It was such a sudden matter…”

“I understand. It’s nothing much.”

Bator cracked his neck from side to side.

Usually, black sedans would be lined up at the waiting area for official vehicles, but the car Bator was in was a large van limousine. An ordinary sedan couldn’t handle Bator’s size.

Still, they had managed to have a tuned vehicle ready before Bator arrived. Bator, who had settled into the back seat of the van, leaned back comfortably.

“Thank you for coming such a long way.”

“It’s a fascinating world.”

Even if he ran at full speed, he couldn’t have come to Korea faster than this.

In the past, warriors prided themselves on being faster than horses and considered the ability to walk on air as a symbol of being different. But the world had changed faster than warriors, and now everyone could fly and move faster than warriors.

‘My position is getting smaller.’

For Bator, who prided himself on carrying on the spirit of the blue grasslands, this was not a welcome development. But even if it wasn’t welcome, he had to acknowledge it. If he couldn’t adapt to the changing world, all that would be left was obsolescence.

“First, we’ll go to the hotel. Please rest from your journey.”

“I have a question…”

“Yes.”

“What kind of person is this Kang Jin-ho that you know? Is he really so strong that I had to come here myself?”

“…It’s difficult for me to give you an accurate answer on that matter.”

“Difficult?”

“Yes.”

The man replied in a slightly trembling voice.

“We don’t have the ability to objectively assess a person’s skills. In the end, we can only compare them relatively.”

“I suppose.”

“But there is no benchmark to compare Kang Jin-ho to. To put it simply, it’s like trying to predict how well the top scorer of the second division will perform when they move up to the first division.”

“Second division?”

“…I’m talking about soccer.”

“Ah, soccer.”

Bator nodded quietly, and the man finally realized his mistake.

Chinese people generally have at least a minimal interest in soccer. But Bator was not Chinese. For him, a Mongolian, soccer was just another sport that others enjoyed.

“I understand what you mean. You can’t know for sure.”

“Yes.”

But fortunately, the meaning seemed to have gotten through.

“Then, let’s leave out the precise prediction and just talk about your feeling.”

“Yes?”

“What do you think? Is Kang Jin-ho someone to be wary of?”

The man seemed to ponder for a moment before opening his mouth.

“No matter how great he is, I don’t think he’s someone who can compare to you, Mr. Bator. I can say that with certainty.”

“Hmm, I see.”

“However…”

Bator’s eyebrows rose slightly. There was quite a bit of weight in that word ‘however’.

The man said cautiously,

“If someone other than you, Mr. Bator, had come, we wouldn’t be so at ease.”

“Is that so…”

“We haven’t been monitoring Kang Jin-ho for very long. From the time his name started to be heard until he became the representative warrior of Korea, it’s only been about half a year. Naturally, those who thought he would fall by the wayside have all been proven wrong by him, including Mr. Chaikechang. He is more terrifying than we thought.”

“I see.”

A smile formed on Bator’s lips.

“He’s strong, then, a strong one. Then it’s worth coming all this way. If this Kang Jin-ho is as strong as you say, then I can return with good memories. That’s enough.”

“I hope you achieve your goal.”

“I heard there’s another problem. Unlike China, it’s not easy to have a match without attracting attention in Korea, is that right?”

“That’s correct. There are so many people crowded into such a small land that it’s not easy to control the attention. Especially since this is not our territory, it’s difficult to control the people.”

“What about contacting Hong Wang? If we use the power he has, it should be possible, right?”

“That’s not easy either. Korea is a neighboring country of China, but China’s influence is not that great here.”

He should have been upset that things weren’t going as planned, but he actually felt a little better.

‘This is a good place.’

He wasn’t Chinese either. But his country was unable to escape the influence of China and Russia. For Bator, who had the pride that his country and his people had once dominated the world, China was always a thorn in his side.

“Then what should we do?”

“Because of that problem, there is a request I would like to make to you, Mr. Bator.”

“A request?”

“Yes. It might sound like a very rude and presumptuous request. But this is not for my own benefit. It is purely out of loyalty to ensure that Mr. Bator’s plan goes well…”

“You’re being long-winded.”

Bator frowned.

He didn’t know what kind of request it was, but he didn’t want to listen to such excessive preamble.

They didn’t know.

It was the Chinese way of thinking to value authority and face as much as life itself. The reason the grasslands conquered the world was because they pursued practicality, not clinging to face like the Chinese.

“Speak. I, Bator, can do anything if it is beneficial.”

“Then, without further ado…”

Cold sweat began to flow from the man’s forehead. Bator, seeing the sweat flowing under his sunglasses, clenched his fist slightly.

Just what kind of request was he going to make that was causing him to act like this…

“Mr. Bator!”

The man shouted, bowing his head deeply.

“Please put on a shirt!”

It was indeed a big request.

“Our son seems to be in a good mood?”

Seeing her son humming softly as he came out, Baek Hyun-jung smiled as well. It had been a long time since Kang Jin-ho had looked so happy. He was usually so expressionless and emotionless that she sometimes wondered if there was something wrong with his facial muscles, but now he was smiling.

“It’s nothing much.”

“It’s not nothing. You look happy.”

“Really…”

At that moment, Kang Eun-young, with her cheeks puffed out in a pout, opened her mouth.

“He was on the phone with someone yesterday!”

“Who?”

Baek Hyun-jung’s voice instantly became sharp.

“I don’t know. I just know he was on the phone. But who else would he be talking to so affectionately at that hour? It must be his sweetheart in a faraway land.”

“Heeeee?”

When Baek Hyun-jung looked at him with a meaningful expression, sweat began to form on Kang Jin-ho’s forehead.

It was true that he had been on the phone, so he couldn’t say, ‘That’s not it.’ But to explain now that ‘I’m not in that kind of relationship with that person’ seemed like too much of an overreaction.

As he was sweating without knowing what to do, Baek Hyun-jung chuckled and said,

“I have no intention of meddling in my son’s love life, so hurry up and eat.”

“Of course!”

His father, who had come out of the bathroom, looked at Kang Jin-ho with a meaningful expression and said,

“It’s best to leave them alone. That’s how we’ll get to see our grandchild’s face.”

“…That’s not it.”

“Yeah, yeah. It’s not. I know it’s not.”

How could his words and expression be so different?

Kang Jin-ho sighed and sat down at the table, unable to even think about untangling the layers of misunderstanding. It seemed his mother was in a good mood today, as the table was slightly groaning under the weight of the food.

“Are you going out this morning?”

“Yes. I have something to do.”

“You seem a bit busy these days.”

“A little.”

“I don’t know what you’re doing, but it’s good that you’re busy. But while it’s important for our son to succeed, I also want to know what you’re doing to succeed.”

She was asking what he was up to these days.

Kang Jin-ho took a deep breath and opened his mouth with a determined look in his eyes.

“Actually, I have something I’d like to tell you about that.”

The family all turned their attention to Kang Jin-ho.