Chapter : 61
Artifact (3)
“Not an employee… then.”
He was momentarily startled at the thought that something had been done, but unless they had installed cameras or some kind of surveillance inside, there was no way an employee would come looking. How could anyone notice if items inside had been damaged?
“Is Kim Su-hyun here?”
Without even sending a summons, coming directly to the room and knocking like this…
Su-hyun got up and straightened his posture. It was still evening, but there was plenty of time for an incident to have occurred.
‘Who the hell is this guy?’
Just knowing that someone was here and that they had knocked on the door personally wasn’t a good sign. Using his remote-sensing magic, Su-hyun checked who was outside.
‘?’
The person standing outside was someone he truly didn’t expect.
“Hope I’m not intruding. I had intended to come a bit earlier, but it took some time to find you…”
“I wasn’t about to sleep yet, so it’s fine. But if you knew I was staying here, why didn’t you just send a summons?”
“The boss thought it might seem rude. Haha!”
“…You put effort into unnecessary things as well, huh.”
Standing at the door was Tom Scott. A calm man from Blue Bear’s Team 2. Unlike the still-maturing Whitman, Scott seemed sharp and intelligent.
When the door opened, he politely asked if it was a good time. Hearing that the president of Blue Bear had come in person to meet him, Su-hyun’s expression froze.
Of course, he had expected a visit eventually. Not only had he saved Blue Bear’s Team 2, but the performance he had shown in front of them had been spectacular. Team 2 wasn’t without discernment; so contacting him afterward was almost inevitable.
Still, wasn’t this too soon? For him to depart immediately after hearing the situation back home, that would explain this speed.
‘Impressive decisiveness.’
After all, he was the head of a major mercenary company, so finding ordinary people might be difficult. But this was still too fast. Curious about the man, Su-hyun stepped forward.
“Bear?”
“I hear that a lot.”
The man sitting in the lounge truly reminded one of a bear—massive build, intimidating appearance. Had it not been for the food on the table, one might have believed he was the head of a crime syndicate.
He noticed Scott and Su-hyun, raising his hand.
“Pleased to meet you! Kim Su-hyun, right? I’m Robert McClain.”
“Pleased to meet you.”
They shook hands lightly, and after Su-hyun sat down, Robert spoke.
“These pancakes look good. Would you like some?”
“…No, thanks. I’ve just had dinner.”
“Then I’ll just eat them myself.”
He took a hearty bite in one gulp. Su-hyun glanced at Scott, who awkwardly looked away. After swallowing, Robert spoke again.
“I’ve heard the whole story before coming. Can you guess why I came?”
“Scout?”
“Exactly. Shows you’re a team leader.”
After wiping his mouth with a napkin, Robert drank some water. Despite being the president of Blue Bear and certainly one of its wealthiest figures, he had the demeanor of a wild man in his actions.
“I came personally for the scout.”
“Usually, a company like Blue Bear has a separate scout team, doesn’t it?”
“In special cases, you need a special approach.”
Robert pointed to Su-hyun with his thick hand.
“What you’ve done this time is worthy of thanks a hundred times over. From the perspective of Blue Bear’s president, I want to express gratitude for saving our team members.”
“It was mutually beneficial, so no need for thanks. I’m not volunteering.”
“I’ll pay you according to custom, but I hope you accept my gratitude as well.”
“If it’ll make you feel better, sure.”
Su-hyun shrugged, but Robert continued.
“And as a father, I must thank you again. I’m truly grateful you got Jennifer out. I never imagined she’d end up in such a situation with her abilities.”
“Cameron’s a fickle place.”
Sincerity showed on Robert’s face. Though calm, it was clear he had recently suffered emotionally—such things are hard to hide.
“She’s talented, and she’s proven it, so I left her be. But after this incident, I’ve changed my mind. I won’t send her anywhere unverified again.”
“Hm. You should tell her directly instead of telling me.”
Su-hyun replied, thinking of Jennifer. Even after such a short time, he could predict her response.
“I already did.”
“Really? What did she say?”
Robert didn’t answer Su-hyun, only giving Scott a wry smile.
‘They must have fought hard.’
“No matter what, I won’t change my mind. Even in verified areas, you never know when death might strike. Sending her to unverified locations is madness.”
“Agreed. Not wise at all.”
Su-hyun, standing confidently in the valley, spoke as if stating the obvious. Robert and Scott glanced at him, but Su-hyun paid no mind.
“Let other teams handle unverified areas. Team 2 should only handle work in verified zones, with proper reinforcement of course.”
“Boss, I’m not here to join, and I’m not really interested in what Blue Bear will do next. Let’s get to the point.”
“You understand but pretend not to. I want you to join the new Team 2.”
It was a predictable offer. Blue Bear’s Team 2 had lost over half its strength, and taking members from other teams would just weaken the overall company. Other teams would protest if their members were taken, citing unfair treatment.
The best solution was clearly to recruit externally.
“Sorry, I’ll only accept your sentiment. I’m not the type to work under someone.”
“You don’t have to work under anyone.”
“?”
“If you join Team 2, I’ll promise you the team leader position.”
“!”
Su-hyun, ready to decline, widened his eyes at the unexpected statement. The team leader position?
“But there’s already a team leader. Your daughter wouldn’t accept someone else, so I’d rather not drag in someone who won’t listen.”
“Choosing a team leader is my right. Even if she refuses, she has to accept it. If she rejects it, no problem—I’ll let her rest.”
Robert’s eyes were serious. He truly thought that way. If Jennifer refused because of Su-hyun, he could use that as an excuse to step back.
“Why so?”
Su-hyun didn’t understand. He wondered why a father, who clearly cared for his daughter, would insist on bringing Su-hyun in as team leader, potentially causing emotional friction. There were other scouts available.
“She’s an outstanding psychic and explorer. But is she a capable team leader? I’ve heard what happened with Scott.”
“There’s more than one incident. Which are you referring to?”
“She lost her temper at the base. Didn’t she?”
“Oh, that?”
“As a team leader, she should have held back. Even if it sounded like family was insulted, she wasn’t alone. Family trust only works within family; others don’t need to know.”
“She’s still young, so that’s understandable.”
‘How old does this guy think he is?’
Compared to Whitman, Jennifer was more perceptive. From a good family, powerful psychic, smooth path in life—yet she acted this way, meaning she had potential. But it seemed Robert wasn’t satisfied.
“She’s young and impatient. When things go smoothly, it’s fine, but a leader shows their true worth in crises.”
“Scott can handle it. He’ll do well.”
Scott, who had been silent, jumped at the sudden attention.
“What? Why me all of a sudden?”
“Jennifer has similar judgment, intelligence, and patience. It’s fine.”
“Scott could be a good leader—if Jennifer wasn’t around.”
“?”
“Since he’s taken care of Jennifer since childhood, he can’t speak harshly to her. If she’s present, he won’t really lead. Then Jennifer will naturally act as team leader.”
Scott bowed his head in embarrassment. Growing up indebted to Robert, Jennifer was like the master’s daughter to him.
“We left her be because there were no flaws, but now it’s time to rein her in. She needs to learn. And she won’t resist much; I’ll guarantee her authority as team leader.”
“Eh, come on…”
“Ha. You’ve only spent a few days together; I’ve spent dozens of times that. Who’s more accurate, you or me?”
Su-hyun had nothing to say. Still, he had no intention of accepting the offer. He already had plans and no reason to be recruited elsewhere now.
“Sorry. Find someone else.”
“May I ask why?”
“I prefer to be the head, not the tail.”
“The team leader isn’t the tail…”
“Well, I prefer the head over the body. Leadership is what matters.”
Robert looked at Su-hyun with a renewed interest. Others would have been dismissed as crazy, but Su-hyun had proven his worth. Jennifer vouched for him, and Scott guaranteed it. Su-hyun wasn’t just a healer; he was top-tier.
Some with incredible powers end up insignificant, while others with modest abilities rise to the top. Su-hyun had both top-tier psychic power and top-tier capability.
People who hesitate to invest would have delayed, but Robert was not one of them. He acted decisively when his instincts told him to.
‘Refusing makes me want him more.’
Recently, Su-hyun was the first to intrigue him this strongly.
‘How should I persuade him…?’
Robert stared at the ceiling in thought. He looked like a bear, but he was sharp—a master at recruiting talent and strategizing.
“Meeting you here, what a coincidence!”
“?!”
Robert straightened up, frowning. An unexpected visitor had appeared.
Su-hyun wasn’t particularly surprised. He had considered the possibility of government surveillance.
To be precise, it wasn’t surveillance but protection. Su-hyun had the artifact alone in the hotel. Other mercenary companies might not worry, but this situation was different.
They might have stationed a few guards around the hotel as a precaution. Many desired the artifact, and the worst-case scenario was losing it to a foreign power.
‘They probably reported immediately after seeing me talk to a foreigner.’
Su-hyun’s guess was correct. Guards had seen him emerge and converse with foreigners and reported immediately. With the description in hand, Choi Hyun-min recognized who had arrived.
‘Blue Bear…!’
Of course, unless it was a scout, there was no reason to come here. He was shocked that the president would personally attempt a recruitment.
‘Must stop this!’
Due to the peculiar nature of Uncle Joe Company, he had forgotten such a possibility. Usually, teams working with the government were large mercenary teams, which foreign companies couldn’t easily absorb.
But Uncle Joe Company was different. Despite its growth, it was essentially a single-team company. Absorbing it would be easy.
