The Wise Cleaning Life Of A Returning Genius Hunter [EN]: Chapter 79

078

The temporary base of the Vietnam Task Force Hunters was nestled deep within the mountains.

The base was more of a makeshift camp, with tents cobbled together from logs and palm leaves.

“……Hello? Hello?”

Inside the operations command center, Nguyen, the Task Force 1 leader, held the receiver, his voice laced with frustration.

“……They hung up?”

“What did they say?”

“They said they don’t care…….”

Huynh’s eyebrows furrowed in disbelief.

They kidnapped his staff, and they *don’t care*?

“Perhaps…… we apprehended the wrong people.”

Task Force Leader Nguyen suggested cautiously.

“If they won’t even listen, are those guys even from the Association?”

“Are they trying to test us?”

“Or maybe they genuinely don’t care if they get kidnapped or not…….”

The team members chimed in, voicing their confusion.

It was a perplexing situation, but Huynh was the most bewildered of all.

They hadn’t grabbed the wrong people. He’d double-checked, triple-checked, just to be sure.

‘But what the hell is going on……?’

Huynh gnawed at his nails, a nervous habit.

Come to think of it, those guys hadn’t shown a flicker of nervousness since they were brought in.

Even with dozens of armed Hunters pointing weapons at them, they remained unfazed, chatting amongst themselves and even yawning.

Moreover, the Association President didn’t seem to give a damn that his staff had been abducted.

‘Ah, could it be……?’

Had the Association deliberately sent the lowest-ranking members?

A realization sparked in Huynh’s mind.

Yes, that was the only explanation that made sense.

They were insignificant grunts who hadn’t experienced anything like this, hence their cluelessness.

They were so unimportant that the Association President couldn’t be bothered to care about their fate.

‘Damn Koreans…….’

He knew they subtly looked down on them, but to send these bottom-of-the-barrel rejects for a merger between Associations? It was insulting.

His fist clenched in suppressed anger.

“What do we do now? If they keep reacting like that, there’s no point in kidnapping them…….”

Just as Team Leader Nguyen cautiously voiced his concern, Huynh’s phone buzzed with an incoming call.

Huynh’s brow furrowed further as he glanced at the caller ID.

“Oh, it’s me.”

The person who was actively blocking the merger with the International Association and greedily hoarding all the government subsidies—a powerful figure in the military.

It was Viet, the Director-General of the General Political Department.

“It’s nothing major, but a Yellow-grade dungeon has surfaced in the south. The estimated profit from that is significantly higher, so prioritize that one.”

“But the Green-grade dungeon in the Maphirang Valley has been left unattended for a month already. The risk of a monster outbreak is rapidly increasing, so we should prioritize that…….”

“Are you talking back to me right now?”

Director Viet’s voice turned sharp, laced with menace.

“More than anything, it’s impossible to handle a Yellow-grade dungeon with our current resources. At the very least, give us more subsidies…….”

“Those useless bastards are always whining about money. Listen here, you pathetic excuse for a leader. Other countries’ Associations clear dungeons just fine even without a single penny. If you lack the ability, then be prepared to sacrifice your lives.”

“…….”

“Don’t argue with me. Clear the one I told you to clear first. I’ll take full responsibility if you all die.”

Incompetent bastards, Director Viet muttered under his breath before abruptly ending the call.

Huynh slammed his phone down, gritting his teeth in frustration.

It was always like this.

Viet was solely focused on short-term profits, so operations that had been meticulously planned for days were overturned with a single phone call.

Of course, his instructions never took into account the actual situation on the ground.

The team Huynh was in charge of consisted of only two task forces, each with fewer than 20 members.

The control team was just him, and the cleaning team had a measly three members.

Logically speaking, they weren’t even equipped to properly clear a Green-grade dungeon, let alone a Yellow-grade one.

But he’s telling them to clear a Yellow-grade dungeon? It was practically a death sentence.

‘Damn bastard…….’

Huynh’s fist trembled with barely contained rage.

The thought of quitting crossed his mind more than a hundred times a day.

He could die at any moment, so it would be far better to find another job than to continue being treated like this.

But he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

There were well over 100 dungeons being neglected across the country.

Thanks to unofficial operation forces like them scattered in various regions, they were barely managing to contain the urgent threats, but if they gave up, it would all fall apart.

The whole country would descend into chaos.

Yes, it was a truly shitty situation, but…… who else would step up if they didn’t?

Huynh knew that things couldn’t continue like this. A fundamental change was desperately needed.

But what could he do?

As Viet had so bluntly pointed out, they had no power or influence.

So, he had to abandon any ridiculous notions of rebuilding the Association and focus on the immediate task at hand.

“Tell the team members. We’re changing the operation.”

Huynh finally made a decision, his voice heavy with resignation.

“Changing the operation……?”

“It’s Viet’s order. He wants us to clear the Yellow-grade dungeon first.”

“What?! Are you serious?!”

Team Leader Nguyen’s voice was filled with disbelief and agitation.

“You know we can’t even afford proper defensive equipment with the current budget! We’ll be annihilated at the entrance!”

“I know.”

Huynh let out a long, weary sigh.

“So, we have to somehow secure a ransom.”

Huynh drew a dagger from his waist, the steel glinting ominously in the dim light.

Then, he strode towards the room where the hostages were being held, his eyes filled with grim determination.

***

The place where we were confined resembled a Vietnamese traditional stilt house, a Nha San [a traditional Vietnamese stilt house].

They had secured our wrists with thick handcuffs, but otherwise, they hadn’t taken any other special precautions.

‘Judging by appearances, they seem to be trying to negotiate with the Association…….’

I quietly observed the other two.

Kim Min-ju was sitting perfectly still, merely blinking occasionally, while Han Yu-bin had been yawning incessantly since they’d arrived.

Neither of them seemed particularly concerned about their predicament.

“You know,” Han Yu-bin began cautiously, breaking the silence.

“If this is the case, wouldn’t it be better to just abandon Vietnam and look for another Association to work with? There’s no reason to stick to this place and endure all this trouble.”

I shook my head, dismissing the idea.

“We can’t give up on the Vietnam Association. Why do you think I chose this place in the first place?”

“……I wonder.”

“Malaysia, Cambodia, Singapore, Thailand, and other surrounding countries are all affiliated with the International Association. Among them, Vietnam is the only remaining independent Association.”

Well… even that independence has effectively dissolved now.

Anyway.

“As you know, International Association branches are required to deliver a certain percentage of parts and items to the headquarters after clearing dungeons. But they can’t transport them by air. The subtle etheric waves present during air transport can cause defects in the items.”

“I used to work for an International Association branch, remember?”

Han Yu-bin narrowed her eyes, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

If you know, that makes things easier, I thought, shrugging before continuing.

“Well, anyway, the branches in Southeast Asia are forced to rely on land routes to transport goods…… and the only viable route passes through northern Vietnam.”

But the Vietnam Association had failed to capitalize on this strategic advantage.

Compared to its neighbors, it was a weak Association, so they must have been overly cautious and deferential to others.

“Until now, the Vietnam Association has been allowing passage through the land route in exchange for only the standard customs fees, a foolish decision given their lack of power.”

“Ah, could it be……?”

Han Yu-bin’s expression turned uneasy, as if she were beginning to grasp the bigger picture.

I nodded firmly, confirming her suspicions.

“I plan to take control of that transportation route. To do that, I need to establish a branch here.”

“Ah, even so, that’s a bit…… The International Association will throw a massive fit.”

“That’s the whole point. To create a means of check and balance.”

“…….”

“And well, what are they going to do? They can’t afford to give up the items, can they?”

I shrugged, feigning nonchalance.

“Of course, I’m not suggesting we drastically increase the customs fees. That’s not something we can unilaterally decide anyway. We’ll simply take over the intermediate transportation between the branch and the headquarters. We just need to sort the items imported from each country and export them to the continent.”

In fact, it wouldn’t be a bad deal for the International Association branches either. It’s like paying for convenience.

Of course, the very fact that it was happening would be incredibly annoying to them.

“Soon, all the items and parts from Southeast Asia will converge in Vietnam.”

“You’re saying you’ll turn it into a hub……?”

“Not just a hub.”

If that was all I had in mind, why would I bother going through all this trouble?

“Vietnam will become the largest hub in Asia.”

I grinned, a flash of ambition in my eyes.

“Anyway, even if it’s a bit troublesome, we can’t give up on the Vietnam Association if we consider the long-term vision.”

“I understand what you’re saying…… but is that plan even feasible in this situation? They don’t seem inclined to listen to us.”

“……Hmm.”

I groaned softly, acknowledging the validity of her point.

Even with government involvement, you could at least attempt negotiation or persuasion.

The problem was these guys here.

No matter what we did, it was impossible without the cooperation of the remaining members of the Vietnam Association.

But they wouldn’t even listen to our proposal, let alone cooperate.

It seemed like they had already resigned themselves to failure from the start…….

‘Tsk, for guys who are supposedly from the Association, they’re incredibly timid.’

I was pondering how to persuade these guys when it happened.

Thud―

The tightly closed door burst open with a loud crash, and Huynh stormed into the room.

He strode directly towards me and grabbed my collar without hesitation.

“Wow…….”

Kim Min-ju exclaimed with genuine surprise.

“I get to see the teacher getting collared.”

“Is this a new type of suicide method?”

Then they exchanged knowing smiles.

“Are you laughing now?”

The atmosphere had shifted dramatically.

Judging by his actions, the negotiation hadn’t gone according to plan.

He was going to take a more aggressive approach, huh.

“I guess you still don’t understand the situation, but if the negotiation falls through, you’re the ones who will pay the price. If you don’t want a hole in your head, contact your headquarters and demand money!”

“Well, that old man won’t believe it even if he’s on his deathbed. It’ll probably be the same no matter how many times you contact him.”

I might have believed it if I had caused some kind of incident and claimed I needed money to cover it up.

“I’m certain you won’t be able to extract a single penny from the Korean Association.”

“No.”

Huynh shook his head emphatically.

“I’ll get it somehow.”

He suddenly brandished a dagger in front of my eyes, the blade reflecting the harsh light.

Ha.

If he kept pushing like this, I wouldn’t be able to hold back any longer.

If we couldn’t resolve this through dialogue, then we’d have to resort to force…….

“Team Leader!!”

At that moment, someone burst into the room, throwing the door open with a bang.

“What is it?”

“About the Green-grade dungeon you canceled the operation for…… The monsters have escaped the dungeon.”

“……Damn it.”

Huynh’s brow furrowed in a mixture of anger and concern.

“Location.”

“They were detected in the Maphirang Valley 30 minutes ago, and they’re heading towards the residential area now.”

Huynh’s face paled visibly.

I couldn’t understand the specifics of what he was saying, but it was clear that the situation was dire.

A dungeon had appeared in the city, or monsters had escaped.

I could see the hand holding the dagger trembling slightly.

Soon, after hearing the sound of his teeth grinding, he threw the knife onto the floor and shouted.

“Summon all available personnel. We’re dispatching immediately!”

“What’s going on?”

“You don’t need to know.”

“Did a monster escape or something?”

He ignored my question and was about to leave when he turned back, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

“……What are you going to do if I say yes?”

“I guessed correctly, then.”

My expression also hardened, mirroring his seriousness.

“I saw earlier that there were only 30 or 40 people in the task force at best. Do you honestly believe you can contain the escaped monsters with that number of people? Evacuating the citizens, rescuing them… it seems woefully inadequate.”

“……Are you mocking me right now?”

“Of course not.”

If I were, I wouldn’t have bothered saying this much.

“I’m saying this because I’m offering to help.”

“Ha…….”

Huynh let out a hollow, incredulous laugh.

“Who are you, a bunch of low-ranking members, to offer help? Do you think I’m stupid enough to believe you’re not just trying to escape in the chaos?”

Low-ranking members?

Who was he referring to?

……Well, that was beside the point for now.

“We’re also members of the Association. We’re not the kind of people who would abandon innocent citizens to save our own skins. I can promise you that.”

“You’ll persuade the Party, you’ll rebuild the Association, you’ll help with the subjugation…… Just listening to you, there’s nothing you can’t do.”

“…….”

“Stop bluffing and stay put.”

Huynh turned and left, leaving us in the room.

He was a frustrating person in many ways.

“……What do you think?”

I shrugged and turned to Kim Min-ju and Han Yu-bin, seeking their opinions.

“Clearing the escaped monsters with that number of people? It’ll be a miracle if they don’t get wiped out.”

“It seems highly unlikely. Their equipment also looked quite outdated and poorly maintained.”

Han Yu-bin and Kim Min-ju shared the same pessimistic assessment.

“This is troublesome in several ways.”

“What is?”

“If the existing task force is wiped out, we’ll have to build a new task force from scratch even if we manage to establish a branch. We’ll have to handle everything from recruitment to training.”

“…….”

“…….”

Silence hung in the air for a moment.

“Well then, there’s nothing to worry about.”

Han Yu-bin let out a faint sigh and rose from her seat, her eyes gleaming with renewed determination.

Kim Min-ju nodded in agreement and followed suit.

Clang―.

As if it required no effort at all, she effortlessly snapped the handcuffs on her wrist.

“Let’s go. Before the work piles up.”

Their eyes were now filled with purpose and resolve.