Descent of the Demon Master-Chapter 1309. Infiltrating (4)

“This here really is the passport?”

“Woah. That’s incredible. How is this even possible?”

“With how convincing it is, who can tell it’s a fake?”

“Indeed.”

The Martial Assembly’s directors stared in amazement at a pair of Korean passports resting on a table before their eyes. Thanks to the quirks of their professions, these people had seen their share of fake passports over the years, but even then, they couldn’t spot any traces of forgery on these two.

Lee Hyeon-Su chuckled slightly. “That’s because you’re looking at genuine passports, sirs.”

Bang Jin-Hun sighed. “Kuh-euh~... So this is what it’s like to have the government help you out, eh? Can I get one as well?”

“...You are joking, right? Sir?”

“Then, you thought I was being serious?”

Bang Jin-Hun smirked softly. To think he’d see a day like this in his life!

What he felt right now couldn’t be the same as what everyone else in this office must be feeling. After all, he was right there during the era of the Martial Assembly cleaning up the mess left behind by those in power.

Although this request wasn’t official, it was still a request from the government. To Bang Jin-Hun, doing something for the country was such a novel and bizarre experience.

I mean, look. We even received actual official passports and all!

Of course, the only thing genuine in that passport was Kang Jin-Ho’s photo. All the other details were falsified, starting with his name.

Even if a problem arose later, the government could just say that this was a meticulously produced forgery and pretend they had nothing to do with it.

“Here you go, Assembly Master. Your passport.”

“...”

Bang Jin-Hun tilted his head at how Kang Jin-Ho pocketed the passport. He turned to Lee Hyeon-Su and asked, “You know, all this buzz made me forget about something, but...”

Lee Hyeon-Su glanced at Bang Jin-Hun. “Sir?”

“Since you guys got passports and all, does that mean... You’ll be entering China officially? On a plane and everything?”

“Of course.”

“...Huh.”

Bang Jin-Hun’s expression grew weird.

“I mean, that’s, uh, obvious, but...”

Was that even allowed? Could a group of people trying to kill somebody brazenly enter a country on a commercial flight? For some reason, Bang Jin-Hun’s common sense and reality clashed viciously in his mind.

Lee Hyeon-Su tried to explain. “There’s nothing to worry about, sir. This is all fake, after all. The official records will show that our Assembly Master has never visited China.”

“Yeah, that’s obvious.”

Since the martial world had been officially recommending “illegal entry” for so long, Bang Jin-Hun felt this subtle yet insistent rejection at how things turned out.

However, that didn’t mean he’d ask Kang Jin-Ho to jump into the ocean and swim all the way to China. Or tell him to hide inside a smelly fridge on a fishing boat.

“Wait a minute. Does that mean you’re going on a plane, too?”

Lee Hyeon-Su nodded. “Yes, I am. Is there a problem, sir?”

“What the hell, man! You better travel on a boat, or else!”

“I wouldn’t mind doing that, sir, but my role during this journey means I must never leave the Assembly Master’s side. After all, I’m the alarm system, no?”

“Urgh...!” Bang Jin-Hun ruefully smacked his lips. “Geez, youngsters these days! They only care about being comfy and stuff. Back in my day, that was the last thing on our minds, you know!”

“...Stop acting like a boomer, will you?”

Kang Jin-Ho finally broke his silence and groaned loudly. From his perspective, all these directors were still youngsters, so such brats acting like boomers presented a big problem!

“And the government sent these plane... tickets... Mm?” Lee Hyeon-Su stared the plane tickets and muttered in disgust. “One ticket is in first class, while the other... is in economy?”

Those bastards! Even if they couldn’t “afford” another first-class ticket, shouldn’t they at least prepare a business-class ticket?!

This had to be a subtle diss directed in Lee Hyeon-Su’s way. Even though he had clearly told the government that he’d be accompanying Kang Jin-Ho to China! How dare they provide only one first-class ticket?!

Unfortunately, it seemed other directors didn’t share his sentiment.

“That was a smart move by them.”

“Mm, indeed. Quite logical, I’d say.”

Lee Hyeon-Su shook his head before addressing the directors. “The representative from the government is waiting for us outside the office, everyone. Shall I let him in?”

Bang Jin-Hun cocked an eyebrow. “Wait, what? Outside this office?”

“Yes, sir. The government already knows the Assembly HQ’s coordinates, anyway. It’s pointless to hide where we are in that case.”

Bang Jin-Hun tutted loudly. “Just because they know our faces, do we have to show them our naked bodies, too?”

“It’s no good to continue underestimating the government, sir. If it wants to, the government can unearth information like that at any time.”

“Well, sure. If you say so.”

Bang Jin-Hun still didn’t seem happy about this situation. Then again, that was understandable. Out of everyone here, perhaps he had spent the longest time evading the glares of the government and ordinary people, and that experience was probably the cause of his behavior.

Kang Jin-Ho nodded. “Let our guest in.”

“Understood.”

Lee Hyeon-Su got up, then exited the office. A little while later, he returned, along with an unfamiliar face.

The unknown face bowed his head very, very subtly. “Pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Yi Jong-Wuk, a director within the National Intelligence Service.”

He then smiled brightly at Kang Jin-Ho and offered his hand for a shake.

That was when murderous intent filled Bang Jin-Hun’s eyes.

How dare that punk...!

A handshake? Now that was not something a mere director of NIS could share with the Assembly Master of the Korean Martial Assembly. And the fact that he offered the handshake first bothered Bang Jin-Hun quite a bit, too.

This gesture might not look like much on the surface, but an NIS agent would obviously know the full implication behind it. Without a doubt, he was saying that... Even though they were in a cooperative relationship, he’d not acknowledge the Martial Assembly.

Just before Bang Jin-Hun could get up, though, Kang Jin-Ho nonchalantly reached out and shook Yi Jong-Wuk’s offered hand.

“Good to meet you. I’m Kang Jin-Ho.”

“Ah, yes, sir. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

After the handshake ended without an incident, Yi Jong-Wuk stared at Kang Jin-Ho in slight shock. He actually had no problem here?

Yi Jong-Wuk knew his action would lead to trouble. After all, that was his intention all along. But Kang Jin-Ho shook the offered hand without a second thought.

...And without a change in his expression, no less!

Was it because his thoughts were deep or he genuinely couldn’t care less? Whatever the answer was, it seemed “Tolerant/Broad-minded” should be added to the list of Kang Jin-Ho’s presumed personality traits.

“Take a seat,” said Kang Jin-Ho as he pointed to an empty spot on the couch.

Yi Jong-Wuk silently nodded and settled down on the spot. But then, this vague sense of disharmony washed over him. After all, this young-looking man was...

He could see other people beside Kang Jin-Ho in this office sitting before his eyes. Taking one look at their faces was enough for Yi Jong-Wuk to swallow his saliva instinctively.

Due to the nature of his work, Yi Jong-Wuk frequently ran into many big fish over the years, and that was why he could instantly tell. The people sitting before him were all genuine big fish. Their statuses or identities were not the reason why he thought that way, however.

People like these would still rise through the ranks and become a major player even if they had been dropped into the middle of a civil war in Africa or some such.

But the one rousing this disharmonious feeling the most in Yi Jong-Yuk was none other than Kang Jin-Ho. After all, the latter... didn’t seem to emit anything.

Others all emitted the air of big fish rather noticeably. However, not Kang Jin-Ho. He didn’t have such air about him, other than how handsome he was, which made him quite eye-catching. But that was about it.

If they had run into each other on a street, Yi Jong-Wuk wouldn’t have paid Kang Jin-Ho much attention other than taking note of how good-looking he was.

But such an unassuming man was the Assembly Master. And these impressive-looking men were mere directors serving him.

Wasn’t that ironic?

Kang Jin-Ho started off first. “So, what brings you here, Mister Yi?”

“Ah, my apologies, sir. This is an unfamiliar environment, so I...” Yi Jong-Wuk sucked in a deep breath before revealing why he was here. “Once you enter China, you must cooperate with our agents on-site, sir.”

“...!” Bang Jin-Hun’s glare got sharper. This brat is really asking for it, isn’t he!

Whether it was his demeanor or speech, it was as if Yi Jong-Wuk wasn’t speaking to someone far superior to his position. In fact, he was trying to act like he was Kang Jin-Ho’s equal. Of course Bang Jin-Hun wouldn’t let that go.

“Oii, you...!”

Before Bang Jin-Hun could say something, however, Kang Jin-Ho raised his hand first and stopped him.

“...”

Although Bang Jin-Hun’s expression stiffened in dissatisfaction, he kept himself in check since Kang Jin-Ho had intervened already. He knew he must behave in the presence of an outsider; he was supposed to be the subordinate here, so damaging his boss’s reputation by acting unruly was definitely a no.

Kang Jin-Ho asked, “When you say cooperation...?”

“Our men will track and pinpoint the target’s location in real time. I’m here to explain how we’ll convey that information to you.”

“Really? That’s it?”

Yi Jong-Wuk nodded. “I didn’t want to risk our enemies eavesdropping on us. We have not established if you’re being monitored or not, but we couldn’t risk the success of this operation on a one-in-a-million chance.”

“Hmm...” Kang Jin-Ho nodded briefly. “You don’t really need me here, then.”

“I... don’t follow?”

“I won’t understand even if you tell me all those things. It’d be better to discuss that with Chief Lee over here.”

“But, Assembly Master, this operation is...”

Kang Jin-Ho interrupted Yi Jong-Wuk while staring him in the eyes. “Is there a problem here?”

“...”

“Chief Lee and I will be heading to China. If you don’t trust Chief Lee, that implies you don’t trust me, either. I don’t see why we should waste our time when you obviously don’t believe in our capabilities.”

Yi Jong-Wuk nodded, his face remaining emotionless. Regardless of what he thought or felt, his expression must remain dead-still. That was one of the first things drilled into him.

“Understood. Then, I’ll discuss this matter with Chief Lee. However, I still have another matter to speak to you about, Assembly Master.”

“Okay. Go ahead.”

“Before I start, can you ask the others to leave us for a minute?”

“Why?” Kang Jin-Ho casually shrugged. “Once you leave, I’m going to tell everything to these people without leaving a single word out, anyway. Still, if you feel uncomfortable with everyone watching, I’ll ask them to leave.”

Yi Jong-Wuk’s facade of composure almost slipped just then. Even though Kang Jin-Ho looked pretty relaxed, he proved himself to be a pro at frustrating the other party.

No, wait. I don’t think he did that intentionally.

Yi Jong-Wuk had a hunch that Kang Jin-Ho was merely being straightforward here. Was it because that was how he was? Or was it more like he had no reason to lie to someone like Yi Jong-Wuk? It was impossible to tell.

“Understood. Then... Allow me.”

Kang Jin-Ho coolly nodded. “Go ahead.”

Yi Jong-Wuk scanned everyone in the office before speaking up. “I must emphasize once more that the government has not officially sanctioned this operation. In case you fail and get arrested by the Chinese authorities, the Korean government will not intervene on your behalf. We will deny all involvement. Please remember that.”

What an obvious thing to say that was. Even so, the other side—the government—probably still felt the need to repeat it. To them, confirming it over and over again wouldn’t be enough to assuage their fears.

“Also...” Yi Jong-Wuk suddenly sighed. “I’d like to apologize first before providing you with the next piece of intel. It seems we must expect an increase in Rhee Ki-Gwang’s protection detail moving forward.”

Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head. “Protection detail? How so?”

“Our surveillance has indicated that the number of North Koreans entering China has increased. More importantly, though, we have received intel that China is preparing their own protection detail for Rhee Ki-Gwang.” 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Lee Hyeon-Su narrowed his eyes. “So, in other words...”

The target’s protection detail wouldn’t suddenly grow in scale without a reason.

“Someone on our side leaked the information? Is that it?”

Yi Jong-Wuk shook his head. “That is impossible. Our security is perfe...”

“Enough of you trash trying to ram this bullsh*t down our throat!” Bang Jin-Hun roared.

He could no longer endure it and shot up to his feet, before grabbing Yi Jong-Wuk by the collar and yanking him closer.

Yi Jong-Wuk reflexively tried to reach for the gun inside his underarm holster, but his arm failed to move from the pain emanating from his throat. As a matter of fact, his entire body had frozen up like a piece of log!

Bang Jin-Hun continued to roar. “You f*ckers couldn’t even plug up your own leaks, yet you dare brazenly tell us that bullsh*t? Hey, you little sh*t! Do we look like idiots to you? Do I have to break your neck first for you to understand how much sh*t you’re in right now?!”

Yo Jong-Wuk gasped painfully. “It’s... It’s... mis... misunderstanding...”

“Misunderstanding, my ass!”

“Director Bang...” Kang Jin-Ho sighed deeply. “Put him down so he can talk.”

“But, sir!”

“Nothing will change by kicking a chick around. It looks like the government sent this guy here because they are too embarrassed to face us.”

Bang Jin-Hun glanced at Yi Jong-Wuk before putting him down roughly.

“Cough, cough!”

While clutching at his throat, Yi Jong-Wuk finally reached in and grabbed his pistol. Of course, he wasn’t thinking of doing something here. His body was simply reacting instinctively to protect itself.

Kang Jin-Ho asked, “Did you say your name was Yi Jong-Wuk?”

“...”

Yi Jong-Wuk turned his head to stare at Kang Jin-Ho.

Kang Jin-Ho leisurely crossed his legs while sleeking back a strand of hair. As if he was waiting for this moment, Lee Hyeon-Su politely presented a fresh cigarette to his boss.

Click!

After lighting the cigarette, Kang Jin-Ho leisurely puffed away.

“Now, then. Start from the beginning. Don’t leave anything out. We can think about this situation afterward.”

Only then did Yi Jong-Wuk realize the truth. He now knew why this man was the Assembly Master of the Korean Martial Assembly!

The moment the office’s atmosphere changed, Kang Jin-Ho changed, too. The ordinary-looking young man was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a terrifying predator searching for its next prey!

“Now, then. Begin.”

Yi Jong-Wuk reflexively nodded.