The Wise Cleaning Life Of A Returning Genius Hunter [EN]: Chapter 161

160

Future Democratic Party Representative’s Office.

“Representative Kim Jun-woo reportedly left for Japan the day before yesterday.”

Representative Seong Hyun-sook’s aide delivered the news.

She nonchalantly twirled her pen and replied,

“Oh, really? Guess he went to check if the gossip was true or not.”

“It seems so.”

“He took the bait.”

Representative Seong Hyun-sook wore a satisfied smile.

‘Well, it’s just a rumor we spread after hearing that the Japanese branch and the Haramura family had a falling out recently, but even so, the Japanese branch would never withdraw from the International Association.’

‘And even if Representative Kim went to the branch himself, there’s no way they’d tell him.’

Of course, it would take too long to find information elsewhere.

‘Let him run around like crazy. Well, it’ll be hard to confirm even if he does.’

In the end, Representative Kim Jun-woo has to choose one of two options.

Either cleanly give up on the Japanese branch, or maintain friendly relations with the Japanese branch and watch the situation until the withdrawal rumor is confirmed.

“What do you think Representative Kim will choose, Secretary Park?”

“Well, he’s such an unpredictable person…….”

“I have some expectations.”

“…Yes?”

“Guys who are after money all think the same way. Representative Kim… will definitely watch the situation.”

Representative Seong Hyun-sook confidently stated the result.

“Maintaining friendly relations with the Japanese branch has two merits. The first is that if they really withdraw from the International Association, he can use the relationship as an excuse to get a piece of the pie.”

“I don’t think Representative Kim would gamble on that alone.”

“That’s right. But even if the Japanese branch doesn’t withdraw in the end, it’s not a losing game.”

“…Is it because of the Haramura family?”

“That’s right. That’s the second merit.”

Even if he doesn’t go as far as an acquisition, maintaining friendly relations allows him to freeload on the Haramura family’s influence.

From a businessman’s perspective, it’s a merit that can’t be ignored.

Of course, the Japanese branch and the Haramura family may have had a slight falling out recently, but that’s a problem that time will naturally solve.

The Japanese branch can’t afford to lose Haramura, an international brand, and the Haramura family can’t afford to give up the International Association, their main customer.

So Karma Corporation will definitely stick to the Japanese branch.

Then they’ll keep groveling and giving them everything they have until they get a crumb.

At that time, a few articles will move public opinion in the direction we want.

‘Well, national sentiment is too fatal to a company’s image…….’

The news that Karma Corporation, representing Korea, has stuck to the Japanese branch will polarize public opinion.

The majority of the public will likely criticize their actions.

Furthermore, no matter what they do in the future, they’ll always be labeled as a ‘pro-Japanese company.’

‘I doubt they’ll be able to act as recklessly as before.’

That’s enough.

We just need to damage their reputation and weaken their influence through one-sided criticism.

“But… Representative Kim couldn’t have failed to consider that. Is the Haramura family that great to take such a risk?”

“Of course. That family is worth it. And it will be in the future.”

Representative Seong Hyun-sook smiled.

“Anyway, Representative Kim has no choice but to stick to the Japanese branch. Unless the rumors about the Haramura family are false.”

It was just a casual remark.

She never dreamed it was true.

***

“Ugh…….”

“Ugh…!”

Groans erupted from everywhere.

The Tachibana-gumi Donggang Association headquarters, located in downtown Saitama Prefecture.

All the action team members except the chairman were sprawled on the floor of the chaotic office.

“W-what…!”

The chairman belatedly realized something was wrong.

With a stiff face, he barely opened his mouth.

“Who, who the hell are you! Did another organization send you?”

“Didn’t I tell you I’m a businessman?”

“Do you know what it means to mess with us? Are you going to start a war against the entire Tachibana-gumi……!”

“Sigh, I don’t think that’s what’s important right now.”

He tapped his shoulder with a toy sword as he approached.

“What do you think will happen if the branch finds out that the great Haramura family was actually a fabrication?”

“…Are you threatening me now?”

“Yes, I am threatening you. So hurry up and bring Haramura-ssi. I heard he’s an old friend of yours. I think you know what’s better for your friend.”

“…….”

He was glaring at me, but his eyes showed signs of hesitation.

“If you don’t want to answer, I have no choice. I’ll tell the branch directly…….”

“Please, don’t do that!”

That’s when it happened.

A middle-aged man burst into the office, flinging the door open.

“Ryu, Ryuhei?! I told you to hide!”

“It seems like they know everything… what’s the point of hiding anymore.”

The man with a bulging belly who suddenly stormed into the office slowly approached.

Haramura Ryuhei.

The 5th generation head of the Haramura family’s workshop and the current head of the Haramura family.

He finally revealed himself.

“I guess you’ve been hiding here from the start.”

“The branch guys can’t just come in here… well, I never thought another guy would break in.”

He reached out his hand first to shake it.

“I’m Haramura Ryuhei.”

“I’m Kim Jun-woo, CEO of Karma Corporation.”

“Karma… the one that recently merged with the Korean Association……?”

“That’s right.”

“Huh! It’s an honor. For such a celebrity to come and find me in person.”

“The honor is all mine. Aren’t you the one who made the Haramura family a global trend after your predecessor?”

“…….”

At first glance, it seems like a common compliment.

But to those who know the truth, it was clearly a sarcastic remark.

“…I didn’t expect to be caught like this. Especially by the CEO of a foreign company.”

Haramura reacted as if he had been hit hard.

“So, how did you find out?”

“You can tell just by looking, why do you ask for a reason?”

He vaguely avoided answering.

It wasn’t a reason he could explain.

I just knew because the lie was exposed before the regression.

Recalling Haramura’s statement at the time, I slowly opened my mouth.

“I’m sure you didn’t start with the intention of deceiving from the beginning. When the predecessor, who used to make kitchen knives, first changed direction to ability-wielding weapons, it was just a slightly exaggerated marketing strategy for promotion.”

“…….”

“A special method passed down through the family, different from other factory-made weapons, etc. Even though the actual quality was worse than B-grade weapons coming out of the factory.”

“My father had a knack for that kind of thing.”

“Yes. It actually worked to some extent, right? Word spread, and people from other regions started looking for it. Well, I’m sure you were just happy until then…….”

This is where the problem explodes.

A C-grade hunter caught a red-grade dungeon boss with a Haramura weapon.

Logically, it doesn’t make sense for a C-grade hunter to defeat a red-grade boss just because of a weapon.

It was just a coincidence.

But many people in Japan didn’t think so.

No, they wanted to believe it.

People don’t believe the facts.

They believe the facts they want to believe.

“Combined with the exaggerated marketing that the predecessor had done, it quickly gained fame. Saying it was a weapon with special powers, and so on.”

“…That’s right.”

“When you realized that things were getting too big, the rumor had already spread to the International Association.”

At this point, the father and son’s reactions diverge.

The predecessor, who was frightened and tried to fix it even now, and the son, who tried to make more money by taking this opportunity.

But not long after, the predecessor died, and the son, who inherited the workshop, decided to take advantage of the false rumor in earnest.

He started producing ability-wielding weapons that didn’t even exist in the workshop that used to make knives.

Of course, the actual performance was naturally below C-rank.

“The reason you haven’t been caught until now is probably because of the foreigners’ fantasy about Japan. You cleverly used that.”

“…….”

His head gradually dropped.

There’s no way the hunters belonging to the International Association didn’t know that the weapon’s performance was poor.

Of course, they would have complained to the Haramura workshop because it was at a level that couldn’t be used as a weapon at all.

But the answer that came back was…….

‘The weapons we make can only unleash their power when qualified.’

It was an answer based on such ridiculous mental strength.

It’s already absurd enough with just this, but what’s even more absurd is that the International Association hunters actually believed it.

“They’re really stupid guys. Don’t you think so?”

“…….”

I asked Han Yu-bin for agreement without much thought, but somehow her expression wasn’t good.

“What’s with that look?”

“Ah, no, it’s nothing…….”

“Don’t tell me you bought it too?”

“…It was so famous when I was in the US branch.”

“…….”

Oh my god.

I can’t believe that idiot is next to me.

“But well… it didn’t have any special effects like the rumors said, it was practically an amulet…….”

“…….”

“…That’s shocking.”

Han Yu-bin, who was rambling excuses, finally lowered her head.

Well, if you think about it, she’s also a victim, so there’s no need to say anything.

Anyway, coming back to the main point, I asked Haramura.

“By the way, what I don’t understand is, why did you suddenly refuse to deliver? Were you afraid of getting caught now?”

“Issues about the International Association are popping up almost every day. I thought it was time to pull out.”

“You didn’t think the branch would just let that slide, did you?”

“Of course, I expected them to come… but I never thought they’d come out to buy the method.”

Haramura’s voice gradually became smaller.

He couldn’t hand over the method.

No, in the first place, there was no method to give.

Because everything was a lie.

But if he kept resisting, he would have been suspected even more. So he asked his friend for a favor.

If he said that the method was taken away, the branch wouldn’t be able to do anything anymore.

“But well, now that I’ve been caught, you can’t hide it anymore.”

“That’s right…….”

That’s about the story.

Now is the real main point.

“Well, don’t worry too much. I didn’t find Haramura-ssi to threaten him. It’s actually the opposite.”

“…What?”

“We’re planning to forcibly withdraw the Japanese branch from the International Association soon.”

Haramura and the Donggang Association chairman’s eyes widened at the same time.

“If Haramura-ssi participates in that…….”

I continued in a small voice.

“I’ll make that rumor about the Haramura family a reality.”

I threw what he wanted most right now.