Descent of the Demon Master-Chapter 1331. Drinking Together, Face to Face (1)

Choi Yeon-Ha’s thoughts were rather complicated at the moment.

Was it because she had gone through an ordeal earlier? No, not really.

Maybe because that event left a sizable trauma in her mind? That wasn’t it, either.

Of course, it wasn’t because she had failed to sign any contracts in China.

Even though she had nagged him about what happened, how Lee Hyeon-Su swooped in and handled the situation still left a deep impression on Choi Yeon-Ha.

This event helped her reshape her opinion of Lee Hyeon-Su. Whether that was for the better or worse was still to be seen, however!

Still, this event helped her realize how... charismatic Lee Hyeon-Su was. A man who acted all slimy and untrustworthy most of the time, only to handle his business with ruthless efficiency and even casual callousness!

Such a man was...

“Urgh...”

Lee Hyeon-Su’s whimper sounded so pitiful to Choi Yeon-Ha’s hearing just then.

Kang Jin-Ho tutted, obviously unimpressed. “Don’t be such a baby.”

“But, sir? I’m not... being... a baby. It’s, it’s my back. It’s killing me...”

“Oh, really? Your back is killing you?”

“...Actually, no, sir. It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

That Lee Hyeon-Su, a man with overflowing charisma, was currently planting his forehead on the corner of the hotel suite without the aid of his hands!

The reason for this outcome was exceedingly simple

While feeling very pleased with himself after physically taking care of things, which hadn’t happened in a long while, Lee Hyeon-Su returned to the hotel with Choi Yeon-Ha in tow. He was full of anticipation as he explained at length to his boss what had transpired during that sham meeting with the Chinese.

However, it gradually dawned on him that he hadn’t reported to Kang Jin-Ho right away after the event had wrapped up.

At the very least, Lee Hyeon-Su should have picked up his phone and called his boss after leaving the room and heading toward the waiting taxi downstairs. That would’ve been the correct order of things.

Unsurprisingly, Lee Hyeon-Su began stuttering nervously during the explanation. And one brief gesture from Kang Jin-Ho later, he found himself assaulting the suite’s floor with his forehead. Voluntarily, no less!

“...”

Choi Yeon-Ha seriously pondered how she should interpret this situation. A man who made mincemeat out of over twenty people, like a character from an anime show, was obediently punishing himself after Kang Jin-Ho had ordered him to do so.

Kang Jin-Ho tutted again. “It sounds like you got a bit too excited after coming to China...?”

“No, sir. Definitely not,” said Lee Hyeon-Su.

“Hmm...?”

Kang Jin-Ho frowned in dissatisfaction, then mouthed a cigarette, only to realize Choi Yeon-Ha’s presence and glanced at her.

She sighed. “You can smoke, Mister Jin-Ho. I don’t mind.”

“No, I can smoke later.”

“And I’m saying it’s fine. Go ahead. With how huge this suite is, I don’t think your cigarette smell will do much, anyway.”

“Well, then. Please excuse me.”

Kang Jin-Ho smiled awkwardly, then lit his cigarette up.

After taking a deep puff, he stared at Choi Yeon-Ha again.

“I’m sorry that you had to go through that.”

“Did you dispatch Mister Lee while thinking this would happen?”

“No,” Kang Jin-Ho slowly shook his head. “I merely thought people don’t usually sign business contracts late in the evenings, that’s all. Since we’re not in Korea, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.”

“...This feels so weird, you know?” Choi Yeon-Ha sighed. “I always thought of myself as whip-smart, but when I’m next to you, I feel like a little kid who can’t seem to stay out of trouble.”

Kang Jin-Ho couldn’t help but smile wryly. Han Eun-Sol also reflexively smiled wryly.

Well, she wasn’t wrong, no?

Things wouldn’t have escalated so rapidly had she refrained from smashing a beer bottle on Wu Chao’s head. Indeed, things could have been resolved through dialogue. So, blaming Choi Yeon-Ha for escalating things was indeed technically correct. It was just that...

Han Eun-Sol honestly believed that those bastards deserved everything that happened to them.

Enduring that humiliation was not the right answer, anyway. Those bastards would’ve belittled Choi Yeon-Ha for retreating like a coward. So, responding strongly was perhaps the right call; it was just that they had gone a little overboard with said strong response.

Kang Jin-Ho must’ve dispatched Lee Hyeon-Su since he knew Choi Yeon-Ha’s tendencies could lead to rapid escalations. At least, that was what Han Eun-Sol believed in his heart.

“I’m sorry. I should have gone myself,” said Kang Jin-Ho.

“No, it’s fine. Really. Chief Lee being there helped us massively. Without him, I don’t even want to imagine what might have happened to us...”

Choi Yeon-Ha deeply sighed. Now that she had calmed down from all the excitement, her body began trembling all on its own.

Her hands trembled so much that she deliberately sat on them to hide her tremor. She didn’t want Kang Jin-Ho to see her pitifully shivering like this.

“Are you really fine?”

Of course, fooling Kang Jin-Ho’s eyes was an impossible mission to begin with.

“Yes, I am. This is nothing, you know?”

Despite Choi Yeon-Ha giving her assurance, Kang Jin-Ho continued to stare at her in silence. His gaze had this calming effect on her, however.

“No, actually, I’m not fine, but... I must be fine. Nothing will change by shivering away, you know? I’ll just think of this event as a rabid dog trying to jump on me.”

“Mm...”

Kang Jin-Ho furrowed his brow slightly.

He didn’t like this. At all. Lee Hyeon-Su must’ve considered all angles before ending things there, but this was not how Kang Jin-Ho tied his loose ends.

Choi Yeon-Ha suddenly called out to Kang Jin-Ho. “I told you I’m fine, Mister Jin-Ho.”

Kang Jin-Ho sobered up and looked back at her. “Sorry?”

“Stop thinking of ways to cross the line, please. You came here to do something, didn’t you?”

“...”

“What I hate the most is getting in your way, Mister Jin-Ho. And I’ve already done that.”

“No, that’s not true.”

“But it is the truth, though?” Choi Yeon-Ha sighed deeply. “If you really want to comfort me, how about buying me a nice meal instead? I don’t feel so good after dumping a ton of booze into an empty stomach. I think I’ll feel better after enjoying some good food.”

That was when Lee Hyeon-Su suddenly shot up to his feet.

Kang Jin-Ho cocked an eyebrow. “And who said you can stand?”

“Sir! I have already reserved a table in a great restaurant!”

Kang Jin-Ho’s jaw fell a little when Lee Hyeon-Su raised his hand and urgently spoke.

“I figured that Miss Yeon-Ha might be peckish since she had skipped lunch earlier. And she isn’t the type to eat during a business meeting as well. So I took the liberty of reserving a table in the most famous restaurant in the area.”

Kang Jin-Ho blinked his eyes. “At this hour?”

“Fufufu~! It seems you don’t know about all the amazing restaurants in Beijing that operate twenty-four-hours a day, sir! I searched and searched until I found the restaurant with the best rating online.”

Choi Yeon-Ha’s jaw fell, just like Kang Jin-Ho. Just what on Earth was up with this guy?

Lee Hyeon-Su’s earlier boast about becoming a legend if he got a job as a talent manager didn’t sound so hollow anymore. He really had what it took to become a legend, and then some!

Kang Jin-Ho cocked an eyebrow. “Fine. But why did you stand up?”

“My apologies, sir. It’s just that we need to leave right now if we want to make it on time. And I thought it’s my sworn duty to guide you there! I felt that personally showing you the way is the best option...”

Lee Hyeon-Su sneakily gazed at the floor.

“But, if you want... I can always go back to what I was doing, sir.”

“...”

Kang Jin-Ho helplessly shook his head. Could he find the restaurant without Lee Hyeon-Su’s guidance? Probably not, and that was the point Lee Hyeon-Su was implying right now. In things like this, no one could outplay Lee Hyeon-Su.

“Fine. Let’s go,” said Kang Jin-Ho.

“Yes, sir! Allow me to guide you.”

Lee Hyeon-Su was full of smiles while saying that.

Although he was being just a bit detestable right now, Kang Jin-Ho didn’t want to be too harsh on Lee Hyeon-Su this time. He did good with Choi Yeon-Ha’s rescue, after all. Besides, looking after Choi Yeon-Ha’s mental health took priority, anyway.

Choi Yeon-Ha glanced at Han Eun-Sol. “Come on, Eun-Sol. Let’s go have dinner.”

Han Eun-Sol weakly shook his head. “No... Go without me. I’ll throw up if I eat something right now.”

Lee Hyeon-Su frowned slightly. “Huh? Did the stress get to you?”

“No, it’s... the booze! Urgh... Wuuuhuph?”

“...” Lee Hyeon-Su helplessly shook his head. “Got it. The hotel’s reception should have emergency medication, so go and ask if they have any hangover cures. And something to calm your stomach down, too.”

“I will. Sorry, but I really can’t... stomach food... Wuupuph?!”

Lee Hyeon-Su tutted in pity. How could a man be so weak against alcohol?

Choi Yeon-Ha patted Han Eun-Sol on the back. “Okay, get some rest here. We’ll go and grab some supper in the meantime. Will you be alright, though?”

“Yes, noona, I’ll be fine.”

“Got it.”

Choi Yeon-Ha got up and glanced at Kang Jin-Ho.

“Shall we go?”

“Mm.”

Kang Jin-Ho also got up to leave, prompting Lee Hyeon-Su to dash toward the exit and smartly open the door.

“Allow me to guide you!”

***

“Eh? Our reservation got canceled?”

Lee Hyeon-Su stared at the restaurant’s manager in pure stupefaction.

The manager coolly nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“N-no, hold on! I didn’t cancel the reservation, so why did you cancel it without telling me?”

“My apologies, but an unforeseen circumstance has forced our hands, and we can’t let anyone inside. Please go back.”

Lee Hyeon-Su’s face stiffened. How could this happen?

Even though he had made reservations, the restaurant unilaterally canceled it without warning him beforehand? It wasn’t as if they hadn’t arrived late or worse, didn’t show up at all, so how could the restaurant do this?

Lee Hyeon-Su scanned his surroundings. Other patrons hoping for a meal listened to the manager’s explanation and retreated without voicing their discontent.

Judging from their reactions, maybe this kind of thing was a regular occurrence in China?

Lee Hyeon-Su couldn’t comprehend this situation with his common sense, but others didn’t seem to have a problem.

That’s weird. I heard that the Chinese people don’t tolerate situations like this, so what’s going on here?

The restaurant manager’s attitude was too unfazed. Plus, the rejected patrons took the news too well. Only after thinking about this for a little more did the truth hit Lee Hyeon-Su in the face.

Did someone high up in the Party rent out the entire restaurant?

It should be easy enough to gauge how much power a person must have to create an illogical and unfair situation like this.

Lee Hyeon-Su sighed deeply. If this was South Korea, people wouldn’t have gotten away scot-free after pulling a stunt like this, no matter how well connected or powerful they were. But this was China. The accepted common sense here did not match that of Lee Hyeon-Su’s.

There was no need to create a scene here. Kang Jin-Ho’s group needed to stay under the radar, after all.

Lee Hyeon-Su stared at the unfazed face of the manager for a little longer, then shook his head. He turned around and addressed Kang Jin-Ho.

“My apologies, sir. But it seems we’ll have to go somewhere else.”

Kang Jin-Ho furrowed his brow. What was this unpleasant feeling?

This situation wasn’t the cause of his displeasure.

Rather unexpectedly, Kang Jin-Ho’s boiling point was fairly high. So, being turned away by some restaurant wouldn’t be enough to set him off.

What displeased him was this strange sensation he had picked up since a while ago.

This sensation was so subtle that he couldn’t quite figure out what had caused it.

“Fuu...”

Kang Jin-Ho suppressed his inexplicable displeasure and sighed deeply before turning around to face Choi Yeon-Ha. “Things keep getting complicated, isn’t it? Maybe we should...”

That was when Choi Yeon-Ha yelled in a sharp voice after failing to keep a lid on her dissatisfaction.

“Does this country’s people think promises are made for fun?! If you canceled reservations because you felt like it and broke our promise, shouldn’t you at least apologize like a human being?! Is it so bloody difficult to say I’m sorry?! What kind of bullsh*t country is this?!”

Choi Yeon-Ha tightly clenched her fists as veins bulged in her throat.

She usually wouldn’t have lost her cool like this in public, even if the situation was far worse than this. But not today. She had gone through too much nonsense already. Her fuse had already burnt out by now, and this event triggered her anger to explode.

Kang Jin-Ho, now panicking slightly, tried to calm her down by holding her shoulder. “Miss Yeon-Ha, please calm down first and...”

“Why?! When this is patently ridiculous!? Where is these people’s common sense!? No, wait! This whole country is nonsensical and illogical, am I right?!”

“Now, now. I can’t let that unfair evaluation slide.” 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Kang Jin-Ho and Lee Hyeon-Su’s heads snapped urgently in the direction of that familiar voice. That was when their eyes spotted the face of a man that could be described as very familiar.

“What the hell...?!”

Lee Hyeon-Su’s irises powerfully quaked. His entire body tensed up and pulled back like a snarling cat. Not only that, but all of his senses rapidly expanded, his internal energy beginning to circulate to awaken every muscle fiber in his body. All these things happened because his instincts told him this was a combat situation.

“Been a while,” said the man relaxedly.

Lee Hyeon-Su sucked in a deep breath. “Cai... Kechang!”

Cai Kechang held Lee Hyeon-Su’s glare for a few seconds before shifting his attention to Kang Jin-Ho. He then bowed deeply with an affable smile.

“I respectfully greet the Demon King.”

“...”

“Please, allow me to guide you. The Crimson King is waiting for you upstairs.”

Cai Kechang politely pointed to the interior while maintaining his smile. His gesture seemed so respectful and nonthreatening.

“So, this was a tiger’s den,” Kang Jin-Ho muttered, the corners of his lips curling up.

He finally figured out the reason for the subtly displeasing sensation he had been feeling.

“Indeed, the personage waiting for you inside can be described as a tiger. But I urge you to think of this as an invitation. Not welcoming our allies when they are visiting our country is against etiquette, after all.”

“Sure, that’s true.”

Kang Jin-Ho strode into the interior of the restaurant. Cai Kechang grinned, then walked a step behind Kang Jin-Ho, perfectly matching the latter’s stride.

Lee Hyeon-Su groaned deeply, then looked at Choi Yeon-Ha. “Ma’am, we should follow them, too.”

She blinked her eyes in stupefaction. “What is going on here?”

“...”

How should I know, ma’am?

Goddamn it!