The Wise Cleaning Life Of A Returning Genius Hunter [EN]: Chapter 357

356. After Story 13

“I have no idea where I am…”

American Branch.

Han Yoobin was wandering alone inside the building.

Lee Ayoung had suggested that the branch seemed to be hiding something, so they should subtly investigate the inside of the building first, but…

She reasoned that two people wandering around would be too noticeable, so she left everything to Han Yoobin and returned to the hotel.

Her logic was that as someone who had lived in the American branch for a long time, he would know the core areas better than she would…

But wasn’t the Long Island branch built after Han Yoobin was kicked out?

Even the branch manager had changed twice since then.

No matter how much he used to be the leader of the operations team at the American branch, he was now no different from a hunter hopeful on a tour of the American branch.

‘It’s too damn similar…’

Anyway, everyone sees him as a pushover.

Han Yoobin swallowed his annoyance and trudged down the long hallway.

With the relocation to Long Island, things had changed, and the building was much larger than before.

He hadn’t had time to see it properly when he came a few years ago, but…

‘This seems twice as big as the WDSO [World Dungeon Survey Organization] headquarters.’

They certainly have a lot of money.

Thinking that, he slowly scanned the entire hallway.

The structure was such that one operations team used an entire floor.

This 15th floor was where Operations Team 3 was located, and the hallway was lined with offices of ‘crews,’ which were sub-groups within the team.

Although they were sub-groups, the crew leaders were also at the team leader level of small associations.

In such a place, Han Yoobin was the youngest crew leader and then the youngest team leader.

Well, that’s all in the past now.

Still, it brings back memories.

From the days when he struggled to get into the American branch, to the days when he had to become ruthless to survive.

To the incident that shattered the patience he had endured in an instant.

Thanks to that, just thinking about the American branch made him want to vomit…

Whether it was because time heals all wounds, or because it was newly built, he fortunately didn’t feel any strong emotions yet.

Unless he met any of the employees who were there at the time, the things he was worried about wouldn’t happen.

Well, after 5 years, the probability of running into them in this vast place is…

“Han?”

“……”

Oh, shit.

A large Caucasian man who was coming towards him recognized Han Yoobin.

At the same time, Han Yoobin’s expression instantly crumpled.

“Han, is that you?! Long time no see!”

“……”

“I heard you went back to Korea, what are you doing here? Don’t tell me you’ve decided to come back?!”

“……”

The Caucasian man kept spouting his own words.

But Han Yoobin just stared at him silently, without even answering.

“……David.”

When Han Yoobin’s cold voice flowed out, the man smiled.

Anyone who saw it would think he was a pure person happy to meet a former colleague, but there was a reason why Han Yoobin was showing such a cold reaction.

As it was.

“How’s Nicole doing?”

“……”

He was the crew leader of ‘Bluehole,’ the crew that Nicole belonged to when Han Yoobin was the Operations Team 4 leader, and…

He was the one who gave the order to retreat, leaving Nicole behind.

***

「How did it go?」

“Well, the discussion itself went well. They readily agreed.”

Lee Ayoung, who had left the branch with Han Yoobin, was giving Kim Junwoo an interim report over the phone.

「Readily, huh…」

“You smell something fishy, right?”

「I smell it a lot.」

It seemed that Kim Junwoo was also bothered by the same thing.

Even though it wasn’t a favorable story for the American branch, the fact that they ‘readily’ accepted the proposal was suspicious.

Furthermore, the situation was even more suspicious, with the number of exterminations decreasing while the number of extermination personnel was increasing over the past few months.

「I’ve been thinking about that for a while…」

Kim Junwoo opened his mouth in a low voice.

「In a situation where exterminations are being reduced, it doesn’t make sense for the number of personnel to increase no matter how you look at it. Not to mention the operations team, there’s no reason to increase the support team or the control team.」

Kim Junwoo paused for a moment and continued.

「Furthermore, if their personnel had increased, there’s no way we wouldn’t have known. But we only found out about it after searching thoroughly.」

“That’s right…?”

「There’s only one team that can hide personnel like that.」

“…Could it be.”

「That’s right. It’s the cleaning team.」

Kim Junwoo replied in a confident voice.

「They’re increasing the cleaning team. No, strictly speaking, they’re hiding suspicious personnel *within* the cleaning team… that’s probably right.」

Lee Ayoung nodded.

If they were simply increasing the cleaning team, there would be no reason to hide the personnel.

They’re continuing to increase the number of suspicious personnel under the guise of the cleaning team.

More than 2,000 people so far…

「So, the important thing is… what is the real purpose of those many ‘fake cleaning teams’? For example…」

At that moment, Kim Junwoo’s voice changed.

「They’re preparing for the situation after the end of the world.」

At the same time, a short sigh escaped from Lee Ayoung’s mouth.

It was a plausible story.

Currently, the one that is influencing the entire world is, without a doubt, WDSO. As long as we are leading the global extermination alternative business, that influence will not disappear even after the end of the other dimension phenomenon.

If that happens, the United States will lose the influence it has had on the international community since the past.

That’s not a welcome story for them.

‘So that’s why they readily accepted the conditions…’

As a matter of fact, it’s not the time to worry about association mergers or the extermination industry anymore.

Sovereignty after the end of the world.

The American branch is looking at that.

Depending on whether they regain it or not, the landscape of the international community will change in the future.

“…They’re not secretly creating an army or something, are they?”

「Well, I don’t think it’s as simple as that.」

Lee Ayoung’s eyebrows furrowed.

「After the end of the world, the hunters’ abilities will all disappear. If they gather about 2,000 ordinary people, they won’t be able to do anything.」

“I guess you’re right.”

「Of course, we can’t help but suspect that they’re secretly creating an army. However… if the American branch is really preparing for the end of the world, it won’t be an ordinary army.」

“……”

Lee Ayoung’s expression hardened.

If he was right… just like with Wesley’s international association before, something big could happen.

“…If it’s that serious, it might be a bit difficult for us alone. Shouldn’t you come here too?”

「I want to, but I can’t let go of the situation here right now…」

Ugh, Lee Ayoung groaned, touching her forehead.

「For now, just find out as much as you can without putting yourself in danger. Just things like suspicious places within the branch.」

“Okay.”

「Is Han Yoobin doing well?」

“Don’t worry too much. If he was the type to cause problems with something like this, he would have already caused them.”

Lee Ayoung replied confidently.

After that, the two exchanged a few more words and hung up.

At the same time, Lee Ayoung’s gaze turned back to the branch building.

Her eyes, unlike when she had confidently spoken to Kim Junwoo a moment ago, were filled with a small amount of anxiety.

***

“……”

American Branch 13th floor, Operations Team 4 area.

Han Yoobin’s gaze, standing in that hallway, pierced right through David.

“What did you say just now?”

When he asked back, David shrugged his shoulders and said.

“Hey, calm down! I was just kidding! You’re not still holding a grudge about something that happened years ago, are you?”

“……”

“But…”

David tapped Han Yoobin’s shoulder and continued.

“‘Samurai’ has died a lot too. If it was the old days, you would have been going crazy already. Right?”

Then, he began to reveal his true colors.

“I heard you’re a cleaner in Korea? Did you come back asking to be accepted again because you couldn’t make a living?”

“……”

“If that’s the case, you’ve come to the right place. I took the Team 4 leader position that you threw away 5 years ago. Of course, it’s not free… if you have a drink with me at night, I’ll think about it.”

David continued to provoke him, but Han Yoobin just stood there without moving.

Then.

“…Ha! Shit.”

David straightened his back as if he had lost interest.

“It’s no fun, Han. No fun. Are you going to be so boring to a colleague you haven’t seen in a long time?”

“……”

“Tsk, if I knew you were such a pushover, I would have fought you back then. I was stupid to be intimidated by you being the team leader…”

David shook his head and turned his back, leaving Han Yoobin, who didn’t answer, behind.

And then.

“Team Leader! You were here.”

“There’s something you need to check regarding Sector F…”

“…Oh, you had a guest.”

Several hunters came to find him from the end of the hallway.

They seemed conscious of Han Yoobin and reacted cautiously, but David waved his hand and said.

“It’s okay, don’t worry about it.”

Then, David glanced at Han Yoobin, who was still motionless.

“Why Sector F.”

“Currently, the branch manager has ordered us to return to the cleaning team position, and the siblings I told you about at that time…”

The sound of their conversation faded away as they moved further away with the hunters who had come to find him.

“Hoo…”

As soon as he was completely out of sight, Han Yoobin finally took a deep breath.

At the same time, blood trickled out of his mouth.

He held it in.

It was dangerous, but… he held it in anyway.

Yes, he couldn’t ruin it by coming all the way here.

Han Yoobin took a few more deep breaths and then calmly replayed his words.

To be honest, he had already reached his limit when Nicole was mentioned, so he didn’t hear the words that followed very well…

‘He actually became the team leader…’

It seemed that after he was stripped of his hunter qualifications, the crew leader had succeeded him.

He was quite skilled, but… the fact that that trash was his successor was a very unfortunate thing.

Well, that’s enough of the old feelings…

‘Sector F…’ That thing that his subordinates who followed him had mentioned.

Han Yoobin began to search his memory on the spot.

It was a name he had never heard of even when he was in the American branch. In the first place, there were no areas with names set only in alphabets.

That way, you can’t intuitively know what kind of place the area is.

But the fact that they deliberately named it that way meant…

‘They deliberately made it so that you wouldn’t know what kind of place it is.’

The corners of Han Yoobin’s lips slightly lifted.

They say good things come to those who endure, and it was the first time in his life that he felt those words were true.

He had obtained a clue only 20 minutes after starting the investigation.

***

“W-where are we going?”

“Shh!”

Two children hiding in an alley, looking at the street.

The boy, about 10 years old, had a worried expression, holding onto his sister’s clothes tightly.

Their clothes were tattered and their hair was disheveled.

They weren’t even wearing shoes, and it was hard to tell whether they were running away to somewhere or running away from somewhere.

“You see the police station in front of us, right?”

The boy’s sister pointed to the front with her finger.

“When I say one, two, three, close your eyes and just run to there. Can you do it?”

“……”

“Don’t worry. Just hold my hand.”

The boy nodded silently at his sister’s words.

His sister also had a worried look in her eyes, but she couldn’t show it in front of her brother.

That’s why she was trying to act strong.

Fortunately, it seemed to work, and the boy relaxed slightly and smiled.

“One…, two…”

Then, the sister grabbed the boy’s hand tightly and counted.

“Three!”

She ran out of the alley and started running like crazy.

The police station was only about 150m away.

How fast could the children’s steps be, but the two just fixed their eyes and ran as hard as they could, their hearts about to burst.

Just get there. Just get there.

They were crossing the street like crazy with that thought in mind when.

Thud―

Something blocked them.

“Ah, ah…”

The sister, who had fallen backward, turned pale when she saw the face of the person who had blocked her.

A large Caucasian man.

“These little rats…”

When that low voice was heard, the children’s bodies began to tremble like crazy.