Descent of the Demon Master-Chapter 1315. Setting Off (5)

When Kang Jin-Ho and Lee Hyeon-Su re-entered the cafe, everyone inside promptly shut their mouths and stared at the duo.

Kang Jin-Ho spoke up once he figured that the atmosphere had settled down somewhat.

“So... Have you guys discussed it amongst yourselves?”

“Yes, sir!”

“We’re not forcing you here. You might find a better way to make a living, after all. If you have something already lined up, then maybe it’ll be better for you to pursue that.”

Kang Jin-Ho earnestly believed that. He didn’t want these people to follow him blindly just because he had prepared this business venture for them. He’d respect anyone choosing to beat their own path.

All he wanted to do was give those who still hadn’t prepared themselves for the future a gentle push. That was all.

“It’s just that...”

Kang Jin-Ho stopped talking there.

Trying to convert his thoughts into words... This task would always prove to be challenging for him. Even though he knew he had made large strides in this regard!

“I’m not doing all these things for plaudits and recognition. As Chief Lee has said earlier, once the business stabilizes, we will try to make as much profit as possible. A business transaction where one side constantly loses out is bound to lead to problems, after all.”

“Yes, sir! We understand!”

“So, don’t think of it as you owing me a favor. I view all of you as excellent resources for the Assembly. You all endured the Assembly’s challenging training regimes, which means you also have what it takes. It’s just that you couldn’t figure out what to do until now and had to sit on your backside, unable to take that step forward.”

Choi Sang-Gil subtly bit his lip. Those words could be what he had been wanting to hear the most until now. And that was why he had to ask this.

“But, sir. Aren’t we drop-outs?”

Kang Jin-Ho chuckled slightly. “Did you know that I’ve failed my driving test many times?”

“...”

“Some people apparently pass it on their first try, but that wasn’t the case for me. I had to spend so much time just to find the driving style that suited my personality.”

Choi Sang-Gil’s eyes powerfully quaked as he listened.

“It’s the same story for you. If something doesn’t suit you, why persist with it? You’ve done all you could by enduring until now. No one can take away all the effort you have put in.”

The strongest person in the Martial Assembly was acknowledging their efforts? Many people here would’ve teared up, their heads faltering, had it not been for the sizable crowd around them. They all bit down hard on their lips in silence.

“That’s why I know you will do a good job with this venture, too,” said Kang Jin-Ho. He chuckled slightly. “It’d be nice for everyone to live a good life, wouldn’t you agree? Yes, I know that sounds like an idealistic dream, but why can’t we dream a little when we’ve already put in all the necessary effort?”

“You’re right, sir,” said Choi Sang-Gil, his head finally faltering. Of course, no one made fun of him for doing that.

“You don’t have to give us your answer today. Think about it, then call the Assembly when you’ve made up your mind. We got provisional contracts ready just in case, so have a look, too.”

“Understood.”

“Good,” Kang Jin-Ho nodded, then returned to his chair.

Lee Hyeon-Su got up next, then addressed the crowd. “Any questions?”

“Excuse me...?”

“Yeah? What is it?”

“Us doing this... Will it help the Assembly out?”

“You don’t need to worry about that.”

“Sorry?”

Lee Hyeon-Su frowned deeply. “I’m not saying you shouldn’t butt into the Assembly’s affairs. No, I’m telling you not to think of this business venture as a way to help the Assembly. Just worry about whether doing this thing can help you out or not.”

“...”

“A human heart doesn’t stay one way forever. You might feel you owe the Assembly right now. And your current financial leeway means you can still think about such stuff. Let’s be honest here, though. How long will you keep thinking that way?”

Lee Hyeon-Su scanned the crowd, his face somber.

“However! Money is eternal! That won’t change!”

Someone in the crowd quietly whispered, “...Wow. Talk about a rotten personality.”

“What was that, you punk?!” Lee Hyeon-Su shot back in slight agitation. Eventually, though, a wry smile spread on his lips. “You might think I’m kidding around, but it’s the truth. Humans only do something when it’s beneficial for them. Don’t let your passion or obligation warp your view on reality, okay? Always do what’s in your best interest.”

Although this advice didn’t seem quite right when recommending people to join the franchising business, the contents of the advice itself were still sound.

Lee Hyeon-Su took out a stack of documents from his briefcase, then glanced at Seong Ju-Chan. “Oii, Ju-Chan. Distribute this to everyone.”

Seong Ju-Chan’s expression fell slightly. “This... Was this meant for everyone?”

“Huh? Of course it is.”

“I... see. It’s nothing, sir.”

While making a deeply crumpled face, Seong Ju-Chan began distributing copies of the provisional contract to others in the cafe.

Lee Hyeon-Su tilted his head in confusion. “In any case... Go home and read it as thoroughly as possible. We’ll start accepting people pretty soon, so decide before that happens.”

“Chief Lee? Can we negotiate these terms? Like, raising the joining fee but altering the percentage of revenue sharing.”

“Don’t push your luck, you bastard!” Lee Hyeon-Su yelled at the person who asked that.

“...”

“These are the best terms we can offer you, okay! Even though I said we need to double the amount we get from you sons of b*tches...!”

Lee Hyeon-Su’s glare reflexively shifted behind him, only for him to sober up instantly, and his head quickly snapped back to his front. Even though what he argued for was fiscally sound—at least in his opinion, that was—he just didn’t have the guts to glare at Kang Jin-Ho in public.

After clearing his throat, he resumed shouting at the former Assembly members.

“Don’t just look at the contracts and assume, okay? Contact other franchising businesses and listen to their offers, too!”

“Eh? Can we do that, sir?”

“Yeah! Do it! So you can finally understand how nonsensically generous our terms are!”

“...”

“I’m telling you, this is a charity operation! A bloody charity, you useless sons of b*tches!”

Lee Hyeon-Su began trembling in barely held-back indignation. Tears of blood might trickle out of his eyes at this rate!

He wasn’t exaggerating things, though; only a charity organization would offer the kind of terms and conditions Kang Jin-Ho wanted to offer to these people. Even though losing money was inevitable during the early days of a franchising business, the contents of this contract suggested that Kang Jin-Ho didn’t care about making money. As in, not at all!

For now, I’ll hold myself back! Lee Hyeon-Su swore inwardly. However, once the business had settled down, he would not let this go on. As a matter of fact, he and Hwang Min-Su already had a tacit agreement about this.

“Okay, that’s about it. You’re all dismissed! Take care of yourselves.”

Just as Lee Hyeon-Su got ready to conclude this meeting, all the former Assembly members got up.

“Assembly Master, sir!”

“Yeah?” Kang Jin-Ho stared back at them, slightly confused.

“We heard you’ll be heading to China soon, sir.”

“...” Kang Jin-Ho narrowed his eyes slightly while glancing at Lee Hyeon-Su. The latter grimaced while squeezing his eyes shut.

Maybe he shouldn’t blame the poor agents of NIS but plug up the leak in-house first! How did this supposedly top-secret news reach these former Assembly members? Even ten talkative neighborhood aunties shouting through megaphones wouldn’t have been this effective in spreading the news!

“Sir! Please have a safe trip!”

“Please take care of yourself!”

“Don’t hesitate to call us if you need help. Even if we’re nobodies, we’ll do our best to help you!”

Kang Jin-Ho couldn’t help but chuckle.

Wasn’t this weird? What was their connection to Kang Jin-Ho? When all they did was walk past each other a couple of times in the Assembly’s hallways?

It wasn’t as if they had spoken to each other before today, yet Kang Jin-Ho still could feel their sincerity in their words.

This thing called the “relationship between human beings” still had a complicated and unexpected side that made it so difficult for Kang Jin-Ho to understand.

“Thanks for the offer,” said Kang Jin-Ho.

“No problem, sir! Take care!”

Kang Jin-Ho got up to leave, prompting the crowd to follow him to the exit.

“No, it’s fine. Stay.”

“But, sir...”

“I’m telling you, it’s fine.”

Kang Jin-Ho briefly waved his hand. Only then did the crowd nod in acceptance and stay still.

“Okay. See you all next time.”

Kang Jin-Ho finally left the cafe. Lee Hyeon-Su was about to follow his boss, but then...

“Excuse me... Chief Lee?”

Seong Ju-Chan cautiously called out to him.

Lee Hyeon-Su tutted. “The Assembly Master told you not to follow him, didn’t he?”

“Yes, sir. He did. But this is something else...”

“Look, man. Dragging goodbyes out only makes things awkward, okay?”

“No, sir. This is something else.”

“Huh?” Lee Hyeon-Su had to stop and look back when Seong Ju-Chan grabbed his sleeve. Although the gesture looked casual on the surface, a strong hint of desperation could still be felt from the grip pulling him back. “What is it?”

“It’s a bit embarrassing to ask you this right now, but...”

“Huh?”

“Please pay the tab, sir.”

“...Eh?”

“I’m not running a charity here, so someone must pay for over a hundred cups of coffee, sir. Otherwise, I’ll be shuttering this store for good today.”

Seong Ju-Chan spoke animatedly, his expression getting progressively more desperate. But at least his hand gestures were firm and unyielding!

Lee Hyeon-Su’s jaw fell slightly. “W-wait a minute. The Assembly Master hasn’t paid yet?”

Didn’t Kang Jin-Ho say he’d pay for everyone’s drinks earlier...?

“No, Chief. He didn’t.”

“G-gimme a sec.”

Lee Hyeon-Su urgently yanked his wallet out and opened it. However...

It... It’s not here?!

Life could be so funny sometimes. The company credit card that always took up space in Lee Hyeon-Su’s wallet and accumulated dust for the lack of use... was nowhere to be found when he actually needed it! That was when he belatedly remembered leaving it behind in the house in the morning.

“H-how much is it?”

“Of course I have a conscience, so I’ll round it down, sir. Just six hundred thousand, sir.”[1]

“H-how much?!”

“Six hundred thousand won, sir.”

“...!”

Lee Hyeon-Su suddenly recalled the sight of Seong Ju-Chan deliberately brewing the most expensive coffee this place had.

His hand trembled pitifully as he took out his personal credit card. Coughing up six hundred thousand won in a cafe? He wouldn’t have any excuses to offer even if the tax people decided to investigate him for a potential tax fraud. Who in their right mind would spend that much money in a bloody cafe?!

“...Things are going well for you, aren’t they?”

Seong Ju-Chan grinned sheepishly. “Ehehe~, it’s all thanks to you looking out for us, of course.”

Lee Hyeon-Su’s expression cramped up even more. Dammit. You’d be less hateful if only you knew how to stay quiet!

His card went through the card reader with some vigor and excitement. At the same time, Lee Hyeon-Su felt his heart lose some of its vigor and excitement!

Yup, she’s not gonna treat this as a business expense. I can already tell.

Lee Hyeon-Ju was rather strict about stuff like this. Without a doubt, she’d cut him off even before he could make his case while saying she gave him a company credit card for this exact purpose, and he should’ve used it.

“Thank you for the coffee, Chief Lee!”

Lee Hyeon-Su freaked out when someone shouted that. “Oii?! Don’t say that! If you do, I...!”

“Thank you, Chief Lee!”

“Thank you for the coffee!”

“I thought the Assembly Master would be buying us a round of coffee, but it was you instead! Thank you so much!”

“You... You sons of b*tches...”

With that, asking Kang Jin-Ho for reimbursement became impossible now!

Lee Hyeon-Su retrieved his card with trembling hands and tucked it inside his wallet. A loud groan escaped from his lips. “We... See you again later.”

“Thank you for your hard work, Chief!”

Lee Hyeon-Su weakly waved his hand at the crowd and slipped out of the cafe. He discovered Kang Jin-Ho in the distant smoking booth and trudged toward his boss.

Kang Jin-Ho curiously asked, “What took you so long?”

“...There was something I had to take care of,” said Lee Hyeon-Su while pouting deeply. He mouthed a cigarette himself while thinking, What’s the point of telling him the truth? It’ll only be a waste of time, anyway.

“Looks like we’ve more or less wrapped up our business here, sir.”

“I guess so,” said Kang Jin-Ho with a brief nod.

He still had to speak to Hwang Min-Su about the franchise, and to Jo Gyu-Min about the status of the welfare foundation’s launch, but... Those were minor matters. It was safe to assume that all the urgent matters requiring his attention before his departure had been dealt with.

Lee Hyeon-Su puffed away at his cigarette. “Then... I’ll see you the day after tomorrow at the airport, sir.”

“Mm.”

“Do you want me to come and pick you up at your place?”

“Mm? M-mm, no, it’s fine. I can handle that.”

“...?”

Lee Hyeon-Su narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

How long had it been since he volunteered to work as Kang Jin-Ho’s personal assistant? By now, he could notice every minute change in Kang Jin-Ho’s expressions.

What was going on here? It seemed like Kang Jin-Ho was hiding something, but what?

“Sir, could it be...?”

Kang Jin-Ho quickly replied, “I’ll go to the airport on my own and go through the process myself, so you don’t have to...”

“Is Director Choi traveling with you, too?”

“...”

“Or did she book a ticket next to your seat?”

“Kuh-hum.”

“...” Lee Hyeon-Su stared at Kang Jin-Ho dazedly. “Sir?! Didn’t I tell you that’s gonna lead to a scandal?! That’s why! We told you not to do it! There are plenty of planes heading to China every day, sir! In that case, why did you say yes to traveling on the same plane as her? And right next to her, no less!”

“T-that’s what I told her, okay?”

“I see. So? What did she say, sir?”

“She said what could possibly be the problem with the company chairman traveling with one of the company's directors.”

“...Oh.”

Choi Yeon-Ha must be a genius, then? Even Lee Hyeon-Su had to admit that there was no issue with this arrangement when described like that!

“W-wait a minute, sir? You are not planning to go around China with her in tow, now are you? That’s gonna lead to serious issues, sir! Please do not forget that we’re going over there to do something dangerous.”

“That’s not gonna happen, okay?” Kang Jin-Ho replied while firmly waving his hand. “I know how to separate personal affairs from business, after all.”

“Sure, sir. You can do that. However, what about Director Choi? Does she know how to do that, too?”

“...Should we get going now?”

“Go where, sir?! Please answer me first!”

“Wow, it’s gotten cold, isn’t it? It’s especially colder today for some reason, too.”

While watching Kang Jin-Ho flee from the scene in hurried steps, Lee Hyeon-Su groaned loudly enough to cause a mini-earthquake.

Gimme a freaking break!

He had a hunch that the upcoming trip to China would be a rather eventful one.

1. 600,000 Won is around $413 US at the time of TLing. ☜