Chapter : 78
Seo Gang-seok couldn’t understand. Then what exactly did this man want? If he wasn’t going to kill him immediately, nor capture and hand him over…
“So, what is it that you want?”
Instead of answering, Su-hyeon pointed a finger at Seo Gang-seok.
“I’m interested in you.”
“Huh?”
Unconsciously, Seo Gang-seok stepped back.
“Joo Won-jun wouldn’t value you that highly, right?”
“……”
“If he was sending you on a mission like this, wouldn’t the answer be obvious? So why stay silent? Want me to send you to prison?”
“Ah, no, that’s not it.”
“Don’t stay silent. I hate being ignored. So, what do you think?”
“There are many talented people in Gaon-gil… I guess that’s inevitable,” Seo Gang-seok said cautiously.
“That’s true. It’s hard to stand out just by being a hunter or knowing a bit about poison.”
“Uh… how…?”
Seo Gang-seok blinked. He couldn’t understand how Su-hyeon knew about his personal details. Maybe Joo Won-jun would know, but Su-hyeon wasn’t someone particularly important.
“No matter what you or Joo Won-jun think of you, I rate you quite highly. If you join my team, I can treat you far better than Joo Won-jun would.”
Seo Gang-seok hesitated upon hearing that.
“Of course, if you were the type to jump at the first word of flattery, I wouldn’t even bother saying it. Don’t worry. I won’t force anyone. I only work with people who choose to do it themselves.”
“I… see.”
Seo Gang-seok felt a sense of relief. For now, Su-hyeon couldn’t just coerce him into following.
“Today, let’s just hear your situation.”
“Huh?”
“Why you work with Joo Won-jun, what problems you have, what you want. Tell me everything. Then I’ll let it slide today. For reference, my subordinates are over there. If you waste time, they’ll come looking, and then I won’t be able to help. If you don’t want to go to jail, speak quickly.”
Even a man carved from rock couldn’t resist Su-hyeon. Eventually, Seo Gang-seok opened his mouth and started to confess.
“You have a daughter?”
Hearing that from the bear-like man was a slight shock. Yet considering his age, it wasn’t surprising.
“Is that a problem?”
“No, actually, it makes sense. Keep going.”
No matter how advanced technology became, some diseases remained incurable. Seo Gang-seok’s daughter had such an illness. Without continuously paying a huge sum to hire a healer, it was nearly impossible to keep her alive. The one covering those expenses was Joo Won-jun. Of course, he wasn’t paying out of generosity—he meticulously recorded every cent in his ledgers.
“Complete recovery is hard… so it’s really a money problem, right?”
Healing powers were excellent for injuries but not omnipotent. Complicated internal diseases sometimes didn’t respond.
“Yes.”
“Even if Joo Won-jun is rich, he wouldn’t spend over ten billion just to employ a servant, right? The treatment costs haven’t reached that much yet?”
“That’s correct, but…”
“If you come to me, I’ll pay in full. Not only the current treatment costs but all future ones as well.”
“!!!!!!”
Seo Gang-seok was more shocked by that than anything else today. What was this man even saying?
“P-Please don’t joke.”
“I don’t joke about this. Go home and think it over. Either live like a dog under someone like Joo Won-jun, or come under me. Decide, and contact me. Come to the Uncle Jo Company building, mention my name, and you’ll be guided immediately.”
Su-hyeon lowered his gun and lightly tapped Seo Gang-seok’s shoulder.
“One more piece of advice—independent of my offer, make sure you report properly to Joo Won-jun. Don’t tell him I found out, and don’t mention what we’re going for either.”
“Th-That’s…”
“Do you want to tell me you got caught? Go ahead if you want.”
Seo Gang-seok lowered his head. Indeed, Joo Won-jun wouldn’t take such a failure lightly.
“Oh, right. I suppose we don’t even know what we’re after. We’re on the way to capture a Rock Giant.”
“C-Could you tell me that?”
“Even if Joo Won-jun found out, he couldn’t do anything. That’s why I’m telling you. Now, take care. I’ll be waiting for a good answer.”
Su-hyeon turned his back and started walking away without another word.
“Wait a moment!”
“?”
“Honestly, your offer… I’m not sure yet.”
“Who said you had to answer now? Think and decide.”
“But I will never forget the kindness you showed today. Thank you!”
“…Even with that face, you say something commendable? If you want to show gratitude, come and repay me directly.”
“Th-That’s…”
“Just kidding.”
Su-hyeon waved and walked away. Seo Gang-seok stared at his retreating figure as if mesmerized.
‘If I can buy Seo Gang-seok with money, it wouldn’t be a penny wasted.’
Money was no problem for Su-hyeon. Between past earnings, future requests to the government, and potential gains from this mission, he had more money than he knew what to do with.
Both in the past and now, Su-hyeon was the classic workaholic. Mercenaries who struck it big on Planet Cameron indulged in a life of excess, but Su-hyeon threw himself into the next mission like an ascetic. Even his subordinates had to stop him.
After returning to the past, he promised himself he wouldn’t dedicate himself without reward, but that didn’t reduce the work. In fact, trying to grow quickly made the work even heavier.
‘Better spend it while I can.’
Su-hyeon wasn’t certain whether Seo Gang-seok would come. He estimated fifty-fifty. A clever, profit-minded man would immediately join Su-hyeon, but Seo Gang-seok wasn’t that type. No matter how attractive Su-hyeon’s offer seemed, Seo Gang-seok had received genuine favor from Joo Won-jun. Could he abandon that? He’d agonize over it.
It didn’t matter. If he joined after careful consideration, it meant his inner conflict was resolved. Then he would show absolute loyalty.
Su-hyeon knew of only two people who would immediately jump into danger at his command without hesitation. One was his former subordinate, the other was Seo Gang-seok.
“Where have you been?”
“I must have been mistaken. Let’s move. The base is right ahead.”
Su-hyeon wore a suit for the first time in a while. Beside him sat Jo Seung-hyeon, equally well-dressed. They had arrived at the Development Planning Bureau building.
The report of capturing a Rock Giant left even those skeptical of Uncle Jo Company silent.
After announcing the capture, handling the information, and planning the surrounding area, the Development Planning Bureau wanted to secure Uncle Jo Company firmly.
“Thank you for your hard work. I skimmed the report, and even from that, it’s remarkable…”
“Breaking one Power Armor isn’t that impressive. By the way, when will the Director arrive?”
“Huh?”
“The reason I was called today, I thought, was to clearly define our future work with the government.”
So far, Uncle Jo Company had been working with the government—receiving possible mission lists, some shared information, and support. Yet it was still a temporary contract. As an external team, it could be dissolved or replaced at any time depending on circumstances.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean a team directly under the Development Planning Bureau. If that’s not why I was called today, I’d be disappointed. We’ve proven our capability. If there’s still no proper response…”
“Oh, no, that’s correct. You were called to discuss a directly controlled team.”
Normally, one would ask how they knew about a secret team. This team was meant to be confidential. But flustered, Choi Hyun-min forgot to ask and admitted the truth.
“And the Director will arrive shortly.”
Choi Hyun-min had already lost control of the conversation. Su-hyeon smirked inwardly.
“Before he comes, I’d like to hear about the benefits.”
He already had a rough idea. Joining a Development Planning Bureau direct team meant an extremely close government relationship—what they had done so far was minor in comparison.
“What information can be shared?”
“All information the government has. In principle.”
This was why Su-hyeon had put in the effort. Suppressing a thrill, he maintained his expression and asked the next question.
“In principle?”
“Information related to other teams is controlled first. Some will be shared later. You need to understand that…”
“Understood. If we work together, that’ll apply to us too.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
“Excluding that, information on previously investigated areas, monsters encountered, future regions of expansion…”
“All available.”
“Excellent. May I ask how many teams are currently active?”
“If Uncle Jo Company joins, it’ll be the sixth team.”
With so many mercenary companies—five in total—it was complex. Large companies had complicated interests; small ones lacked the skills the Bureau required.
“What about benefits beyond information?”
“Details will be provided in writing. But first, please maintain secrecy. As you might guess, this is not an officially recognized team.”
“I understand.”
The resources provided to teams didn’t materialize from thin air. Even a wealthy department like the Development Planning Bureau had to consider public opinion.
“And if we’re talking benefits, what specifically are you curious about?”
“To be frank, money.”
Choi Hyun-min relaxed and smiled slightly.
“Profits generated during missions from discovered items remain yours. If you need to spend elsewhere…”
He presented a black electronic card.
“Funds are issued under a company name created by the Bureau. No limits, but if the amount seems too large, you may contact us. Negotiation via non-cash methods is possible.”
Even selling a few Bureau-controlled resources could generate instant cash.
“But there’s a record, right?”
“R-Right?”
“Can we get an untraceable, rechargeable electronic card?”
“What? For what purpose?”
“You can’t always use official and legal means in the field.”
At that moment, Director Lee Won-jae entered, holding a thick stack of documents, which he politely handed to Su-hyeon and Jo Seung-hyeon before taking a seat.
“No need for formal greetings, I suppose? You said something interesting earlier—anything you need from the black market?”
What Su-hyeon wanted could only come from the black market.
“Previously, we could only provide officially approved items, but with your signature here, even unapproved items can be supplied, including military equipment.”
Lee Won-jae spoke with energy and rhythm. Su-hyeon suspected he had deliberately waited outside, letting Choi Hyun-min enter first to loosen the atmosphere before quickly progressing the discussion. A man of the Director’s level could easily do that.
“Of course, but short of being a god, the Bureau can’t provide everything. Some items are only available on the black market.”
“Hmm… that’s true. We can provide those separately.”
“Is that alright, Director?”
“Of course. If we can’t manage that, who would want to work with us?”
‘They’re putting on a show.’
Providing an untraceable electronic card was trivial for the Bureau. The conversation was a performance to show they were generous and capable.
