Daddy is too Strong-Chapter 300

Most, if not all, rumors have a way of growing more exaggerated over time. What starts as nothing can become distorted through word of mouth, eventually obscuring the truth. That was exactly what was happening among the contract Hunters at Seoul City Hall.

With the rank evaluations approaching, murmurs only spread.

“Did you hear? They’re no longer extending contracts that easily anymore.”

“If we don’t reach the rank set by Supervisor Lee, we’re out.”

“Apparently, Chief Kang told Young-Hoon that there are plenty of others who can take his place.’”

“The maximum number of Hunters they can give a contract to is fifty, but there are already hundreds of people wanting to join as contract Hunters. I heard the waitlist is full.”

“And not just any Hunters... All the applicants are B-rank or higher.”

Every time a few contract Hunters gathered, similar conversations unfolded. Of course, these were all just baseless rumors, but given how much the contract Hunters had improved over the past year under Do-Jun’s guidance, it didn’t seem entirely impossible.

His advice had been nothing short of extraordinary. He had taken F-rank Hunters, who could barely handle goblins, and trained them to the point where they could toy with orcs.

Was it because they had that much untapped potential?

No. If they had been working solo or under a different guild or management agency, such results would have been impossible.

“They’re also cutting the pay completely. We’d have to work for free.”

“What? How do they expect us to work without pay?”

“Oh, and we have to report to the office daily to do janitorial work? Chief Kang said if we don’t like it, we can leave. He said they won’t stop anyone and that it’s time for a complete personnel shake-up...”

As the rank evaluations neared, the rumors grew wilder, and along with that, the contract Hunters grew increasingly anxious. Never in their wildest dreams had they imagined being pushed around by City Hall, of all places.

But Seoul City Hall now had the authority to do so. As long as Do-Jun stayed, that authority would only continue to grow.

“In any case, what matters is that if we want to stay, we absolutely have to meet the rank requirement set by Supervisor Lee. That’s the bare minimum. You know how the Hunter’s Bureau has that exclusive partnership with Seoul City Hall to jointly manage the Great Fissures, right?”

The Hunters’ eyes widened.

“Oooh, that’s why Chief Kang wants a shake-up!”

“Yeah. Now that we’re managing Great Fissures, they’re raising the bar for us too.”

A quiet determination spread among the Hunters. Clenching their fists, their eyes burned with fierce resolve. They were going to stay at Seoul City Hall no matter what it took.

***

Such rumors inevitably reached Do-Jun’s ears. His hearing was at a level where he could hear even an ant’s footsteps if he wanted to. It was no effort for him to pick up the murmuring of the contract Hunters.

Ye-Ji entered the office. “Mr. Administrator, you called for me?”

Do-Jun gestured for her to take a seat, then handed her a list of names of the contract Hunters scheduled for evaluation.

“What’s this...?” Ye-Ji asked.

“I have a small favor to ask.”

“Of course! I’ll do anything for you!”

“Thank you. Could I ask you to supervise the contract Hunters on their evaluation day? Normally, I’d go myself, but I don’t think I’ll be able to because of other tasks.”

Ye-Ji nodded and added, “Is that all? I just have to supervise them?”

“Yes, that’s all. I sincerely apologize for delegating my work to you.”

“Oh, no! There’s nothing to apologize for, Mr. Administrator!”

“In that case, I’ll treat you to dinner next time,” Do-Jun promised.

At those words, Ye-Ji’s face lit up instantly.

***

Finally, the day of the rank evaluation arrived.

The Hunter’s Bureau was packed with people. The second wave of evaluations had drawn numerous Hunters, and representatives from different guilds and management agencies had gathered, creating an atmosphere akin to a bustling market.

Since the results of the evaluations were announced immediately, recruitment officers were already preparing to scout potential candidates. The transfer market was in full swing, and the energetic atmosphere was palpable.

An announcement rang through the hall.

[Attention, all Hunters. The rank evaluation will begin shortly, as scheduled for 10 AM. Please proceed to the testing arena on the fourth basement floor. Once again, the evaluation will begin soon...]

Ye-Ji glanced at the contract Hunters, who were tense with anticipation. It reminded her of herself in the past, and she couldn’t help but smile.

“Don’t worry. Mr. Administrator set your target ranks himself, right? That means you’ll pass,” she reassured the nervous Hunters.

“Do you really think so...?”

Standing at the exam's threshold, their anxiety surged. And for good reason, as each was trying to climb at least two ranks above their current level. It was an immense challenge.

Breaking through the rank barriers, which were so high that they were often called the walls, required significant time and effort. For example, most E-rank Hunters took at least a year to reach D-rank. Moving from D to C took about two years. Advancing from C to B needed not only talent but also a good amount of luck, and even then, it typically took at least three years.

Yet the contract Hunters had only spent one to two years training under Do-Jun, and now, they were aiming to leap at least two ranks in one go.

Then, a murmur spread through the crowd. Like the parting of the Red Sea, people instinctively made way as a man strode forward. It was Kang-Hyun.

All eyes were locked on him. Ye-Ji’s arrival earlier enticed some whispers as well, but Kang-Hyun was on a different level entirely.

He walked straight toward Ye-Ji. “It’s been a while, Hunter Cha.”

“Hello, Hunter Lee. What a coincidence to meet you here.”

The contract Hunters exchanged nervous glances. Seeing two S-rank Hunters talking right in front of them felt surreal, especially since it was the Lee Kang-Hyun, a figure so far above them that they normally wouldn’t even dare to look his way.

Kang-Hyun said, “This isn’t exactly a coincidence. I heard about this from Supervisor Lee. You’re here to oversee the contract Hunters’ evaluation, aren’t you?”

Instantly, the expressions of the contract Hunters changed dramatically. If their reaction could be summarized in an emoji, their expressions went from -ㅅ- to OㅅO!?

“Ah, I see,” Ye-Ji remarked.

“I asked him whether he’d be stopping by the Hunter’s Bureau today. I wanted to greet him if he did, but oh well. Anyway, are these the Hunters?”

“Yes. There are thirty-two in total,” Ye-Ji said, then turned to the contract Hunters. “Hunters, please introduce yourselves.”

The contract Hunters, who had been frozen stiff, quickly bowed so deeply it looked like their heads might hit the floor.

“Hello, sir!” they bellowed in unison.

Kang-Hyun scanned each of them carefully before smiling and saying, “Make sure you don’t disappoint him.”

The contract Hunters, still bowing, looked downward in panic. It didn’t take much thought to realize that the “him” Kang-Hyun mentioned was Do-Jun. And judging by his demeanor, their relationship wasn’t just an average professional one.

Ye-Ji stepped in to ease the tension. “Don’t worry, Hunter Lee. They’ll do just fine. They’ve been working with Mr. Administrator for over a year now. I’m sure they’ll pass with ease.”

Kang-Hyun nodded. Yes, that was the only possible outcome.

He scrutinized each contract Hunter individually. As DAC's president, he was determined to ensure they performed well today. If they failed and brought shame to Do-Jun, he would personally ensure they faced harsh punishment.

With that in mind, he began memorizing their faces.

***

The office was incredibly busy.

With the supplementary budget season in full swing, they had tight deadlines to prepare the salary budget report for Hunters to submit to the city council. At the same time, they needed to compare and analyze the status reports of Great Fissures, which had been jointly managed with the Hunter’s Bureau since last year.

Additionally, the city bylaws had to be revised.

The Seoul Fissure Management bylaw capped the annual salary of contract Hunters at 300 million won, regardless of their rank. This policy was introduced when the Fissure Management Division was first established, but it was now completely out of touch with reality.

Instead of directly increasing salaries, Do-Jun proposed adjusting the revenue-share model for the monster byproducts acquired during Fissure explorations. Currently, the Hunters received 100% of the byproducts, leaving the city with nothing. Under the new proposal, the split would shift to 70:30 in favor of the Hunters.

Although this meant that the Hunters would now share a portion of the byproducts with the city, the overall value of those materials was significantly higher due to access to higher-ranked Fissures. So, 70% of the byproducts from a Great Fissure were worth far more than 100% from a normal Fissure. This change would naturally increase the Hunters’ total compensation while also generating new revenue for the city, making it a practical and mutually beneficial adjustment. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Cheol-Soo had been staring at his monitor, but suddenly stood up and asked, “Should we go check on them?”

Do-Jun and Hyuk-Soo turned to look at him. Cheol-Soo had been fidgeting in his seat for a while now, restless like a dog needing to go outside for a potty break. His mind was completely occupied with the rank evaluations for contract Hunters, making it difficult for him to focus on his work.

“What if the guild managers try to poach our Hunters?” he asked, worried.

“They won’t be poached. I’m sure they’ll all apply for contract extensions. Remember, even Hunter Bae Young-Hoon said he was desperate to renew,” Do-Jun reassured him with a smile.

“Well, yeah, Hunter Bae did say that... but what about the others? Hyuk-Soo, what do you think?”

“I think it’ll go just as Do-Jun said.”

“I hope you guys are right... You see this?” Cheol-Soo pointed at his head. “I’m losing my hair from all this stress. It’s all stress-induced hair loss, I’m serious...”

***

Hunter’s Bureau Underground Testing Arena.

Each Hunter entered an artificial Fissure with a difficulty level matching the rank they applied for. The evaluations started at C-rank and went up to A-rank at most. The contract Hunters began equipping their suits and gear in preparation for their tests.

Though they were determined to pass the evaluation, they couldn’t shake a lingering suspicion. Something was happening—something big—and at the center of it all was Do-Jun. It felt like a huge secret was hidden just beneath the surface.

“Uh... Hunter Cha?” one of the Hunters called out.

“Yes?”

“Is it true that Supervisor Lee knows Hunter Lee Kang-Hyun personally...?”

The moment the question was asked, every Hunter in the room turned their attention to Ye-Ji, their equipment momentarily forgotten. All eyes were on her, waiting for her answer.

“Yes.”

“H-how...?”

One was the top Hunter in Korea, and the other was just a city government employee. No matter how they thought about it, the pairing didn’t make sense. Most people wouldn’t even have a chance to meet Kang-Hyun once in their lifetime.

“He often works with Hunter Lee.”

Her words left the contract Hunters speechless.

Work? What kind of work would involve someone like Kang-Hyun? They tried to recall what Do-Jun actually did on a daily basis.

He conducted Fissure explorations, managed payments for byproducts obtained during those expeditions, handled salary distribution for contract Hunters, and occasionally attended meetings with the Fissure Management Division of the Hunter’s Bureau. Of course, there were other miscellaneous tasks, but this was the extent of what they knew.

“For the record, it’s not just Hunter Lee,” Ye-Ji continued. “Every S-rank Hunter knows Mr. Administrator personally.”

“What...?”

“Whenever Mr. Administrator calls meetings, they all rush to attend.”

Rush? Like eager little puppies?

“All of them?” one Hunter asked, dazed.

“Yes. Every one of them.”

The Hunters didn’t know what to say.

“Everyone’s busy trying to get on his good side. So, if any of you plan on going for S-rank someday, you’d better do the same,” Ye-Ji advised.

The contract Hunters blinked.

“Are you saying... if we impress Supervisor Lee, we could become S-rank Hunters?”

“Yes. But, of course, your skills need to be impressive enough to earn his recognition first.” Ye-Ji smirked before adding one final remark. “After all, Mr. Administrator is the one who appoints S-rank Hunters.”