Descent Of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 591

All eyes turned to Lee Sung-taek.

Under that gaze, Lee Sung-taek urgently shouted once more.

“I’m asking who received the Chairman’s call! Where is the Chairman right now!”

Everyone’s faces turned sour.

And it was understandable.

Someone had just barged in and was making such a fuss; who would look kindly upon that? Naturally, they couldn’t help but feel displeased.

“Is there some kind of problem?”

“The Chairman has never been like this before. When has he ever loosened up with drinks before a campaign?”

“Good grief…”

Elder Song Young-moo openly showed his displeasure and spoke.

“Listen here, Director Lee. I received the call. Shall I show you?”

“…Elder Song, you received it?”

“That’s right. That’s why I gathered everyone. Here! Look.”

Song Young-moo took out his phone from his pocket and held it out to Lee Sung-taek. However, Lee Sung-taek hesitated to reach out and take the phone.

That was as good as saying he didn’t completely trust Elder Song.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk.”

When Lee Sung-taek didn’t take it, Song Young-moo clicked his tongue and took back his phone.

“Listen here, Director Lee Sung-taek.”

“Yes.”

“It’s not like only you are smart. It’s not like only you have thoughts.”

“We’re old too. And the Chairman has also aged. We can’t live like we did back then when we were full of youthful vigor, can we?”

Lee Sung-taek couldn’t say anything and hung his head low.

“A new bowstring will only stretch to a certain point, but an old bow will eventually snap if you keep pulling it taut. Listen here, Director Lee. It’s good to have ambition, but you can’t forget reality. We’re old now. If we keep being tense, accidents are bound to happen. The Chairman is wise. He knows we can’t be like we were before. If we tried to be like before and this kind of mess happened, we need to change now.”

Lee Sung-taek bit his lip.

What he was saying was right.

Yes, Song Young-moo was right. They needed to change. But no matter how he thought about it, this wasn’t the right direction. How was this supposed to be an improvement?

It was a regression.

‘Am I being too sensitive?’

Lee Sung-taek had no choice but to back down. If he pushed any further, his position would only become more difficult.

“Let’s not be too harsh. Director Lee was just speaking out of good intentions.”

“Of course. We all have good intentions.”

“We have a good thing ahead of us. We should be good to each other.”

“Haha. That’s right, that’s right. I was just being temperamental for no reason. This is why they say old people are a nuisance. Hahahaha.”

The atmosphere became amicable again.

After another round of drinks, Song Young-moo looked at Lee Sung-taek and said,

“Director Lee, I was too harsh. I apologize.”

“No, Elder. I was the one who made a mistake. I’m sorry. I’ve been too impatient lately.”

“We all are.”

Regret was evident in Song Young-moo’s eyes.

“You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. Now that the Chairman has been ousted, I realize how much of a reliable shield he was for us.”

“…That’s right.”

Song Young-moo’s face hardened.

“We already made a mistake once. When the Chairman was competing with Bang Jin-hoon’s forces, we should have been more actively supporting him and building up his power. But we just thought it was a normal squabble and half-ignored it, and that’s what led to the current situation.”

Lee Sung-taek slightly bit his lip.

Was that a mistake?

No.

Looking at it coldly, Lee Joong-gul didn’t lose to Bang Jin-hoon. If it had been a power struggle, he wouldn’t have lost. The only reason Lee Joong-gul lost was because of Kang Jin-ho.

The fact that they failed to predict and prepare for the appearance of Kang Jin-ho was the reason for the Chairman’s, and their own, defeat. But now, Song Young-moo was talking without mentioning Kang Jin-ho’s name at all.

‘Are they that afraid?’

If that was the case, then why were they even fighting? They should just stay cooped up in their rooms and play Go [a strategy board game].

“But this time is different. This time, it’s different. I will do my best to support the Chairman. I’m even prepared to give my life. And then, we will regain our past glory.”

Lee Sung-taek looked at Song Young-moo with a slightly displeased gaze.

How could someone who liked to take the lead so much have endured all this time?

Come to think of it, Director Jo had been…

‘Director Jo?’

Lee Sung-taek raised his head and looked around. Director Jo was nowhere to be seen.

‘Why isn’t Director Jo here either?’

The Chairman was one thing. But for Director Jo to be absent from a gathering like this was too strange.

“Excuse me, Elder Song?”

“Hmm?”

Song Young-moo turned his head and looked at Lee Sung-taek.

“Isn’t the Chairman coming?”

“The Chairman said that if he joined a gathering like this, the atmosphere would become too heavy, so he wouldn’t be attending today.”

“Then what about Director Jo?”

“Director Jo? Now that you mention it, Director Jo is late.”

Song Young-moo tilted his head.

The Director Jo he knew was a stickler for time. He was someone who was rarely ever late for appointments, but today he was strangely late.

“He’s been so busy lately with the work the Chairman has been giving him.”

“That’s true. But…”

Song Young-moo showed a displeased expression.

“The Chairman is really strange. There are so many people here, why is he only giving work to Director Jo? It’s not like we’re unreliable.”

“Hahaha! Elder Song, it’s true that we follow the Chairman, but we can’t be doing such trivial things at our level, can we? The Chairman is just being considerate.”

“I guess so. Yes, I guess so.”

Loud laughter and booming voices.

Lee Sung-taek’s gaze grew increasingly somber.

‘Is there any hope?’

The reality was sinking in.

This place was a sinking ship.

A ship that was cutting through the waves and moving forward wouldn’t make such a boisterous sound. Everyone would be busy doing their jobs in their respective places and discussing the direction they should be heading.

Thinking positively about everything was a sign that everything was going negatively.

Growing old could lead to such side effects.

After going through thick and thin, one would have at least one experience where something that seemed impossible to solve was resolved dramatically, and that would be strongly imprinted in their minds.

Then, when faced with a similar situation later, they would have an unfounded hope that things would somehow work out like they did in the past.

A rational person would know that it wasn’t their ability and that coincidences don’t happen twice, but…

‘Their reason is clouded.’

At least, the thread of reason couldn’t be seen in the people gathered here.

They were just old men reminiscing about their past glory. It wasn’t that they were old because they had aged. The moment a person looks back at the past without the courage to move forward, they are no longer young.

‘Even now…’

Lee Sung-taek’s knees twitched.

Being with these people was no different from committing suicide. No matter how great a plan Lee Joong-gul had come up with, there was no way they could succeed with these people.

“Everyone, steel yourselves.”

As if sensing Lee Sung-taek’s feelings, Song Young-moo opened his mouth in a serious tone.

“We are about to embark on an important task unlike anything we’ve ever experienced. Whether we can recreate our past glory or rot away as old men in the back room depends on how well we handle this task.”

‘There is no future where I rot away as an old man in the back room.’

I’d be rotting in a coffin.

Where did this naivety come from?

Did they believe that even if the mission failed, Kang Jin-ho would only expel them? What was the basis for that?

Something was wrong.

Their perception, the direction they were heading… something was definitely wrong.

Lee Sung-taek jumped up from his seat.

No. Not anymore. If he stayed with them, his future would be nothing but having his head cut off and buried in the mountains.

“Hmm?”

Song Young-moo raised his head and looked at Lee Sung-taek.

“What’s the matter?”

“I have an urgent matter and need to leave first.”

“An urgent matter…”

Song Young-moo wore a subtle smile.

“Why? Are you going to meet Kang Jin-ho? Are you going to go and tattle about this before you leave work?”

“Elder!”

“Sit down.”

“It’s really urgent…”

“Sit!”

A shout burst from Song Young-moo’s mouth. The temperature in the room instantly began to cool down.

“You don’t know your place. Do you know what kind of gathering this is that you’re trying to get up from? This is…”

Song Young-moo, who was about to launch into a long speech, frowned and turned his head. Something was noisy outside.

“What’s going on?”

“…Shall we go check?”

“Wait.”

Song Young-moo listened silently. Then, the conversation outside began to be heard.

“Y-you can’t go in there!”

“I said I have business here.”

“You can’t go in! Only those with reservations can enter.”

“Don’t worry. I’m with them.”

“No, no matter how I look at you, you’re a stranger…”

“We came from the same place. And… it would be best if you stopped now. My superior seems to be angry right now.”

“Ah…”

Song Young-moo’s face contorted.

What on earth was going on?

Song Young-moo jumped up from his seat and tried to go outside. To punish the impudent uninvited guest who dared to disturb their gathering.

But there was no need for that.

The uninvited guest boldly opened the door to where they were and tried to enter. No… he tried to enter.

But he couldn’t.

It was absurd.

Behind the door that had been flung open, a huge body could be seen.

A massive physique that didn’t look human at all.

A door that one person could easily pass through looked like a dog hole in front of him.

“This door is definitely small.”

Crack.

A hand larger than a human head suddenly reached in and began to tear down the walls on either side of the door.

The sturdy walls made of reinforced concrete were torn down effortlessly, like a child’s toy house.

Snap, crack, crack.

The sense of reality disappeared.

A giant who had suddenly appeared.

And the walls being torn down by the giant’s gestures.

It was like having a dream.

But this was not a dream.

The giant entered through the door that had been torn down and widened to twice its size. Even though it had been widened that much, the way he had to lower his head to enter was comical.

“Everyone’s gathered.”

The giant who had entered smiled and looked around at the elders and directors.

“Nice to meet you. I am Bator. I don’t know if anyone has heard my name.”

“…He says.”

Following Bator, Jang Da-jing also entered the room.

“These are the ones, right?”

“Yes, Bator-nim. According to what Lee Hyun-soo said, these are them.”

“I see. Indeed, there seem to be some familiar faces.”

Lee Sung-taek’s eyes trembled.

That, that guy…

“W-why are you here?”

“Hmm…”