Chapter 46 …
We’re Closed for Business
The Jung-gu District Office conference room was bustling with people.
Kim Jaesang, the Dong leader, sat at the head of the table, with Kim Minseok’s party and district office staff lined up on both sides alongside Choi Yeon.
They had gathered after a long night, but for them, the night was far from over.
Swish. Choi Yeon, seated next to Kim Minseok, raised a hand to draw everyone’s attention.
“After questioning them politely, they said they were planning to return to the laboratory on Maebang Mountain.”
“Maebang Mountain?”
“Yes.”
“Well, that works out nicely. Then we can—”
“Ah, wait a moment.”
A mage interrupted the Dong leader. All eyes turned toward her.
“Moon Giseop was discarded as a failed product. The shock made him spill everything, but most of it was information we already knew.”
“So?”
“As for new information, there was something about Maebang Mountain.”
“A place even a discarded one knows about?”
“Would they keep using a place like that?”
“…They wouldn’t.”
The Dong leader scratched his chin in agreement.
Once the trail had been stepped on, proper procedure would be to dispose of it entirely.
…Was this all for nothing?
“Yeona. Did that bastard know anything else?”
“Not really. The only useful thing was… the abilities and relationships of each executive, maybe?”
“That’s it?”
“Yes.”
“Hmmm….”
The Dong leader crossed his thick arms.
Judging by how things were unfolding, there was a good chance that the executive who confessed everything to Choi Yeon was also destined to be discarded.
Since he’d been ordered to kidnap children, he wouldn’t have been in exactly the same position as Moon Giseop—but still.
Then…
“…Was he a sacrificial pawn?”
“A sacrificial pawn?”
“The kidnapping was a kind of test. If he brought them back, he passed. If he failed—”
“Disposed of?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm. That does make sense.”
“He was stupid for an executive, but judging by that staff he had, he wasn’t someone they’d just throw away.”
The Fragmentation Staff surfaced in Choi Yeon’s mind.
It had swelled massively when mana was poured into it, thick as a building pillar. It was anything but ordinary.
At maximum output, it had to be at least B-rank. And it even had a barrier-destruction attribute…
“If it hadn’t been the orphanage barrier, it would’ve been destroyed, you know?”
“Well, yeah. The noise was insane. Everyone was freaking out, asking what had happened….”
The Dong leader nodded in agreement.
When he’d heard the sound at the district office, he’d thought there’d been an explosion.
The street could’ve fallen into chaos, but thanks to Nubeok stepping in wholeheartedly, things had been resolved smoothly.
If not for them, it would’ve taken much more effort to manage.
“Hmmm….”
A dissatisfied sound escaped the Dong leader’s clenched mouth.
There were no new leads to follow. At this point, they were at a dead end.
Perhaps sensing the same thing, the others in the room wore grim expressions.
No—there was exactly one person whose face looked the same as always.
That person was Choi Yeon, whose half-lidded eyes made it impossible to tell whether they were open or closed. And at this very moment—
“Krrr….”
—he was snoring.
He was asleep. In the brief moment the Dong leader had been lost in thought.
He even had a faint smile on his lips, as if he were having a pleasant dream. Everyone in the conference room stared at him in disbelief.
“…Yeona?”
“Krrr….”
“Hey! You bastard! Choi Yeon!”
“……Krr, huh? Did you call me?”
“You—how can you be sleeping right now?”
“I wasn’t sleeping? I was just thinking for a moment.”
“…….”
The nerve of him. Using those unreadable eyes as an excuse to deny it?
A shared glare stabbed toward Choi Yeon.
Reading the room, he protested indignantly.
“It’s true! I was agonizing over the thought that we’ll have to run around on foot from now on.”
“On foot… personally?”
“Yes.”
Blink, blink. The Dong leader closed his eyes, then opened them again. Soon, the corners of his mouth lifted into a dry smile.
He was absolutely right.
What dead end?
There was always a road—just no shortcut straight through it.
As the Dong leader and others who understood Choi Yeon’s meaning steeled themselves, the conference room phone rang.
Several pairs of eyes turned toward it, but no one reached out. They assumed it would stop ringing soon.
But the phone kept ringing. Until someone finally answered.
“…Hello?”
A district office employee who handled various errands picked up the call.
The moment he heard the voice on the other end, his eyes widened.
“…This is Yoo Seojin.”
“Huh? Who called?”
“He’s an adjutant of the Red Blood Society—”
“No, that’s not what I’m asking.”
The Dong leader waved his hand, cutting him off. What he wanted to know was why that guy was calling—but of course, the employee couldn’t know that.
With a displeased look, the Dong leader decided to take the call himself. Beep. He switched to speakerphone so everyone could hear.
“Yoo Seojin. Do you even know where you’re calling?”
—Yes, it’s nice to hear from you too, Dong Leader Kim Jaesang of Seonhwa-dong.
“Well, at least one of us is happy about it. Now spit it out. Why’d you call?”
—I thought I’d offer my regards. I figured everyone would be gathered by now.
“Tch.” The Dong leader chuckled like he was clicking his tongue.
The way he talked about “regards” rubbed him the wrong way.
Suppressing the urge to slam the receiver down, he spoke.
“Fine. Let’s hear what nonsense you’ve got.”
—You worked very hard today. Thanks to you, we were able to dispose of the failed products without lifting a finger.
“What hard work? They were all so weak it hardly counted as effort.”
—Haha. That’s why they were failures, right?
“That’s exactly my point. But for something this trivial, wasn’t the gift a bit too much?”
—Pardon?
“The Fragmentation Staff. Such an excessive gift, I’m worried it might violate the law.”
—Ah….
There was a hint of regret in his sigh.
Pretending to be considerate, the Dong leader spoke nastily.
“What, want it back? If you do, come to the district office right now. I’ll wait.”
—Oh, no. It’s fine. Why go through the trouble?
“Really fine with you?”
—Of course. Use it well. It’s from the heart.
His voice trembled slightly as he said it. That wasn’t just imagination.
Well done, Mr. Dong Leader!
Encouraged by the silent cheers around him, the Dong leader laughed heartily.
“Then I’ll bring it with me and come visit you soon.”
—Ah, that won’t be possible.
“Why not? Don’t be like that.”
—We’ll be entering renovations after today. All business locations will be closed.
“Oh really? That’s fine. Do we need formalities between us? If I drop by, all you need to do is stick out your wrist.”
—Hahaha.
“Hahaha!”
Laughter filled the conference room.
They sounded friendly enough, but the Dong leader’s face was icy cold.
The person on the other end was likely the same. The laughter quickly died down.
—Can’t be helped, then.
“Hm?”
—I’ll have to help you so you don’t waste your time. Could you wait just a moment?
“What are you planning to do?”
—Begin.
Behind Yoo Seojin’s calm voice came the sound of some device activating.
What was that?
Before anyone could figure it out—
KWAANG!
—an explosion roared, making its presence unmistakably known.
—Ugh, my ears hurt. Did you hear that clearly?
“I’m not so deaf I’d miss an explosion. Where was that?”
—The Maebang Mountain laboratory.
Several gazes met in midair. The very place they’d been discussing moments ago.
Just as expected, it wasn’t being used anymore—it had been disposed of.
Kim Minseok sprang to his feet, and as if speaking directly to him, Yoo Seojin continued.
—There’s no need for you to come. There won’t be anything left.
“…….”
As Kim Minseok froze in place, Choi Yeon stepped in.
“Mr. Yoo Seojin. I have a question.”
—That’s a voice I don’t recognize… Ah. You must be Choi Yeon from Seonhwa-dong. Nice to meet you.
“You know me?”
—Of course. You’re the one who gave Song Jongin of the Dark Fragrance Society a hard time. And well… tonight, you thoroughly humiliated the Red Blood Society. So, what’s your question?
“The children. Are they safe?”
—The children? Ah, the ones who were in the lab? Well, obviously, they’re all dead, right?
“…….”
—If I said that, would you all be very angry?
“…Probably quite a lot.”
Puhaha. Laughter came through the speaker. Yoo Seojin didn’t bother holding it back as he continued.
—Your voice is terrifying.
“Isn’t that only natural?”
—Natural? Natural, natural…. Is it? I wonder….
Each repetition made Yoo Seojin’s voice grow hazier, like someone muttering half-asleep.
What’s wrong with this guy?
“Mr. Yoo Seojin?”
—Hm? Oh, right. The children? Ah…. They’re safe. Perfectly safe. They’re precious test subjects, after all. Why would we kill them without thinking?
“…….”
The reason was unpleasant, but at least they were unharmed.
They could be rescued.
Since he’d declared all business closed, it wouldn’t be easy—but they would find them and save them.
—Mr. Choi Yeon. Any more questions?
“If I do?”
—Ask away. If it’s something I can tell you, I will.
“Your headquarters? Or maybe a base?”
—Haha, seems like you don’t have one. Then….
“Why children?”
Choi Yeon’s voice suddenly turned cold.
As if stabbed by a dagger, Yoo Seojin’s voice cracked.
—…For the sake of experimental efficiency, of course. Children progress far faster than adults.
“That’s the only reason?”
—Yes. That alone. Simply that.
“…Then the treatment method?”
—Treatment? What… exactly are you trying to treat?
Yoo Seojin answered Choi Yeon’s question with one of his own.
Hearing his genuinely confused tone, Choi Yeon frowned.
—Oh dear. Mr. Choi Yeon, you’re mistaken. Those children aren’t sick.
“…….”
—They gained power. Immense, unknown power…!
“They didn’t gain it by choice. They should be able to put it down, too.”
—Well, if you think that way, isn’t that something you should figure out yourselves? And what timing—there’s a test subject right beside you. Perfect.
You son of a bitch.
“Hey, you bastard!”
BANG!
The mage slammed her fist onto the table.
Others tried to stop her, but her anger wouldn’t cool, and she continued hurling curses—calling him a calf, a horse, and worse.
In the end, she had to be dragged out by a fellow martial artist.
…Looks like I blurted that out unconsciously.
—Whew. More hot-blooded than I expected, Ms. Yoon Seha?
“I’d say it’s justified anger.”
—Is that so? Justified, huh. I see.
“…By the way, I heard you’ve made some secret escape holes nearby?”
—Oh dear. That embarrassing detail has already spread?
“There should be one there as well. An escape hole.”
—What? What do you mean by—
Yoo Seojin’s voice trailed off.
At the same time, noise erupted on the other side of the speaker. Multiple voices overlapped in chaos.
Still, one name cut through clearly.
—Choi Heeseok…!
It was a name Choi Yeon heard almost as often as his own.
If the Red Blood Society had found Choi Heeseok, then he must have seen them too.
—That’s just cruel. Didn’t I say we’re closed for business now?
“If you’re closing anyway, I thought shutting down permanently might be better than remodeling.”
—That’s impossible. Do you know how far we’ve come…!
“Well, probably the same way trash does.”
—Haha! Yes, exactly as you say! And that’s precisely why we can’t stop now, Mr. Choi Yeon.
Tsk. Choi Yeon clicked his tongue once.
A rotten person would keep dragging rotten thoughts along forever.
—Looks like it’s time to hang up. Then, until we meet again! Mr. Choi Yeon—and fellow Hunters…!
Click.
The call ended abruptly after his hurried farewell.
Yeah. Run away.
That suits you.
Choi Yeon stared at the silent phone and thought quietly.
