Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 664

With a clattering sound, the mahjong tiles were sucked into the machine installed in the table.

‘Damn it, these tiles are just not coming together.’

Wang Chen was in a foul mood. Watching the mahjong tiles disappear under the table and mix, Wang Chen raised his head and spoke quietly.

“Hey, you didn’t mess with the machine, did you?”

“If I could do that, why would I be here touching mahjong tiles? I’d go open a factory.”

“Damn it.”

Wang Chen leaned back in his chair and tilted his head back.

‘Nothing’s going right.’

He’d been feeling unlucky lately, and now even mahjong wasn’t going his way. He’d lost so many rounds already, he’d lost count.

Looking at the newly placed tiles in front of him, Wang Chen frowned. The tiles themselves weren’t bad, but he had a bad feeling. Just as he was thinking this round was a bust, the door to the back room opened and someone came in.

“Boss.”

Wang Chen frowned and said,

“Unless it’s serious, talk to me later.”

“…It’s not that serious, but it’s a bit awkward to talk about later.”

“Ah, you little…”

Wang Chen turned his head, annoyed.

“What?”

“Let’s step outside for a moment.”

“You little punk, can’t you see the tiles are in play?”

“…Boss.”

Wang Chen got up from his seat, clearly irritated.

“Sorry. I’ll be right back, so take a break for one round.”

“Yes. Please go ahead.”

Wang Chen walked out with heavy steps.

“What is it?”

Wang Chen, having reached a place where he couldn’t be overheard, asked directly. His voice carried a threat that if it wasn’t important, he wouldn’t let the other person off easily.

“We can’t reach Guo Liqin.”

“So what? Why are you bothering me with such trivial… Wait. What did you say?”

“We can’t reach Guo Liqin.”

Wang Chen raised his hand and rubbed his chin.

‘Guo Liqin, huh…’

If it was Guo Liqin, then it wasn’t a trivial matter. Guo Liqin was the guy he’d assigned to Ryu Wei. Considering the money Ryu Wei was making and handing over to the organization, this was quite serious.

What if something had happened to Ryu Wei? What if he couldn’t make money anymore?

The old geezers would tear Wang Chen apart.

“Have you tried contacting Ryu Wei?”

“He’s not answering.”

“So, his phone is still working. Then, how long has it been?”

“It’s not exact. We checked because the regular report that was due yesterday didn’t come.”

“Hmm, I see. Wu Xun.”

“Yes.”

Thwack!

Wang Chen’s fist struck Wu Xun’s jaw. His lip burst, and blood splattered against the wall.

“You were quick to notice.”

“…I’m sorry, Boss.”

Wu Xun lowered his head, not even thinking of wiping the blood.

“I don’t care about Guo Liqin. He was a good knife, and it’s a shame, but there are plenty of knives. But Ryu Wei is different. You can’t find guys like him easily. You understand?”

“Yes.”

“To those old geezers, that guy is far more important than the likes of us. So, what do you think will happen if we lose him? You couldn’t make up for it even if you sold all the organs in your body. You understand?”

“Yes.”

“Check it out. Use every means possible to find out what happened. A guy like Guo Liqin wouldn’t go down easily. It’s possible someone else made a move, so keep all possibilities open…”

Wang Chen clenched and unclenched his fist, looking like he was in thought.

“No, investigating will be too late. First, send all available men… Where was Ryu Wei?”

“Sichuan.”

“Right, send them to Sichuan. It’s not too late to investigate while they’re on their way. Even if it’s a wild goose chase, just move.”

“Understood, Boss.”

“Who else knows about this besides you?”

“I’m the only one who knows right now.”

“Good. Move! Before I kill you!”

“Yes!”

Wang Chen watched Wu Xun run off, then spat on the floor.

‘Damn it.’

It was impossible to hide this fact from the old geezers. Even if he could successfully hide it, they would hold him responsible later when they found out. To lessen his responsibility even a little, he had to report it himself. The old geezers were stubborn and frustrating, but they were not people he could dare ignore.

‘This is why the martial world is becoming stagnant.’

Unlike the outside world where generational changes occur at the right time, those who seize power in the martial world do not easily give up their positions. Unlike ordinary people who lose their physical strength and vitality as they age, martial artists accumulate internal energy [qi] as they get older.

Their diminished ability to adapt is more than covered by their immense internal energy. In the end, they only get stronger with age, and they don’t easily let go of the power they’ve seized.

There are many who should be called old monsters rather than old men. The problem is that martial artists even have longer lifespans than ordinary people.

The old monsters who currently dominate the underworld of China have been running rampant since before the country was even founded.

“I’m going to get an earful of nagging again.”

Wang Chen dug at his ear.

So, what should he do?

“Boss, should we clear the table?”

Someone from inside shouted, and Wang Chen chuckled.

“No. I’m going in now.”

He had to finish the game he was playing. He’d just had a really unlucky experience, so now his luck should be turning around.

Wang Chen glanced at the direction Wu Xun had run off in and frowned slightly.

“I don’t know who’s messing around, but it won’t be boring for a while.”

Wang Chen didn’t know.

How far this seemingly insignificant event could grow.

Well, even if he knew now, it wasn’t something Wang Chen could stop.

“…That’s a fine mess.”

Zhang Xiang clutched his head.

“Did that guy come here on some kind of drug?”

That couldn’t be it.

In China, doing drugs meant you were ready to die. China, which considered the Opium Wars an unforgettable dark history, sentenced anyone who did drugs to death without question.

Even if Ryu Wei was a top celebrity, it wouldn’t change anything.

No, rather, because he was a top celebrity, he would be punished more severely. He would be an example to many.

That’s why even the upper class, who committed all sorts of misdeeds, didn’t dare touch drugs. It was an area that couldn’t be easily covered with power and wealth.

No matter how stupid Ryu Wei was, he couldn’t not know that. If he had even a little bit of sense, he wouldn’t do drugs in China.

‘But how could he look like that after just three days without drugs?’

It was like all his vitality had been sucked out.

How could his face turn so pale in just three days unless he’d been possessed by a ghost and had all his energy drained?

He looked like a patient in the intensive care unit, not an actor.

“Makeup team!”

“Yes, Director.”

“Do something about that guy’s face!”

“Yes, I understand.”

The makeup team rushed over, checked Ryu Wei’s condition, and then took him away with grim faces. When the makeup team grabbed his arm, Ryu Wei followed them obediently without resistance.

Zhang Xiang let out a big sigh.

It was great that the actor had finally returned, but could they even use him in that state?

“Damn it.”

Just when he thought he’d solved one problem, a new one had arisen.

The only good thing was that the scenes Ryu Wei had to film now were gloomy ones. If they were lively scenes, it would be hopeless, but to express the emotions of a male lead watching the female lead slowly die, that kind of face might be better.

It was a bit over the top, but since his acting skills were lacking, he had to make up for it with that kind of face.

‘Let’s think positively, positively.’

Anyway, it was a relief that they could resume filming. Even if they filmed it badly, it was better than not being able to film at all.

“You really brought him?”

Choi Yeon-ha approached the person wearing a hat and smiled brightly.

The person wearing the hat replied as if it was nothing.

“It’s no big deal.”

“…You must be a real Superman.”

Zhang Xiang couldn’t understand what they were saying because they were speaking in Korean, but he knew one thing.

‘That guy… he’s that guy from before, isn’t he?’ Kang Jin-ho, was it?

That guy who looked unbelievably good on camera. But how did that guy come with Ryu Wei?

The more he looked at him, the more incomprehensible he became.

‘I should make time to meet him separately.’

He’d already had his eye on him, but after this incident, his interest had grown even more. He was Korean, but he spoke Chinese well, so there wouldn’t be any awkwardness if they met.

Zhang Xiang smiled as he watched Choi Yeon-ha take Kang Jin-ho away.

But Zhang Xiang’s smile didn’t last long.

“Cut! Cut! Damn it! Cut!”

Zhang Xiang jumped up and threw the script to the floor.

“Hey, you! Is that what you call acting right now?”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Damn it, even a kid from elementary school could act better than you! Where did a guy like that come from!”

“I’m sorry.”

“Damn it! We’ll take a 5-minute break. We’ll start filming again after 5 minutes, so look at the script again and get your emotions back! Got it?”

“…Yes.”

Zhang Xiang clutched his head.

“Ughhhhh! Damn it!” Acting, that damn acting was the problem.

Zhang Xiang’s acting skills, which were already at the level of a kindergarten talent show, had deteriorated even further. He’d been somewhat human until now, but today he felt like a creaking wooden doll.

Even the term ‘bad acting’ was too good for him.

Even bad acting done with feet was still done by a human. Zhang Xiang’s acting right now couldn’t be considered human. He was still the worst actor he’d ever seen, but he was in a lonely battle to constantly break his own limits. Of course, in a negative way.

“At least we need to get some usable scenes!”

There was a limit to what he could cover with directing.

“Director, I brought some cold water.”

“Give it to me!”

Zhang Xiang gulped down the cold water and sighed.

“…How many takes have we done of the same scene?”

“Maybe it’s because we filmed Choi Yeon-ha’s scenes just before?”

“Maybe.”

It was possible that it looked even worse because Choi Yeon-ha had just given a legendary performance.

But that wasn’t all. Right now, Ryu Wei was absolutely terrible at acting, not just relatively. Even an amateur with no eye for acting would laugh at his performance.

‘Why is that guy so nervous?’

He sometimes got a similar feeling. When a rookie actor came to an audition and was so nervous that they moved like a creaking wooden doll. Sweating profusely.

Everyone knew that nervousness had consumed them, but this was a job that couldn’t be done if you couldn’t overcome nervousness. Being nervous at an audition meant you could never withstand the camera’s gaze. Of course, they would fail.

But he never thought he’d see that scene on a film set.

Zhang Xiang took out a cigarette. It was his rule not to smoke while filming, but he had to smoke to avoid collapsing from stress.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

“We’re starting again. Ready!”

Perhaps right now, Zhang Xiang was even more nervous than Ryu Wei.