Descent of the Demon Master-Chapter 1076. Discovered (1)

“I’m sorry?”

—I said, Seok Dong-Su had a change of heart, Mister Lee. Just what did you do?

“W-well, uh...”

Lee Hyeon-Su had no choice but to stammer in fluster.

‘Even if you ask me, how should I know?’

How was he supposed to answer a question like this the first thing in the morning?

‘No, wait. I do know, don’t I?’

Kang Jin-Ho must’ve done something during the night. However, knowing that didn’t help Lee Hyeon-Su’s cause. Especially when he didn’t have the details of what happened!

“I, uh, I’m not sure about...”

—Mister Lee! A man suddenly changed his tune overnight. Overnight, I say! Did you kidnap and torture him or something?

“Definitely not, sir. We don’t do stuff like that.”

—Yes, I know that. It’s just that I cannot think of an alternative.

Lee Hyeon-Su gripped the phone tightly while listening to the National Assembly member’s frustrated explanation.

“Can you explain what happened, sir?”

—Apparently, Seok Dong-Su showed up at the Prime Minister's home in the wee hours of this morning and created a huge scene.

“I’m sorry?”

—And he raised a huge fuss like a madman, saying they must do everything the Martial Assembly wants or else.

“W-what the...?”

Just what did the Assembly Master do last night?

—Because of how desperate and wretched Seok Dong-Su looked, the Prime Minister apparently thought the minister’s family member got kidnapped or something and had his people confirm the situation.

The National Assembly member briefly paused and sucked in a deep breath.

—You know what the Prime Minister told me? A father wouldn’t have been as piss-scared as Seok Dong-Su even if his three-year-old got kidnapped, and the criminals sent a severed finger as the proof of life!

Lee Hyeon-Su clamped his mouth shut. From what he could hear, this couldn’t be treated as a laughing matter anymore.

‘Just what did he do?’

He knew this situation would get resolved somehow. After all, Kang Jin-Ho always produced results that surpassed Lee Hyeon-Su's expectations. Or, for that matter, his imagination!

Only a third-rate villain from a Saturday morning cartoon would experience all those events and still think, “Not this time!”

So, there was no doubt that Kang Jin-Ho would pull off what he said he’d do. He gave his word, didn’t he?

So, the problem now was...

‘Minister Seok is piss-scared?’

Something didn't seem right here. Lee Hyeon-Su did expect Kang Jin-Ho to threaten the minister. That was how the Assembly Master usually handled his affairs, after all!

Lee Hyeon-Su didn't have to be there to know that Kang Jin-Ho must've grabbed Seok Dong-Su by the neck and shook the poor politician around like a ragdoll!

Even then...

‘Why did he go this far?’

Lee Hyeon-Su expected Kang Jin-Ho to “scold” the politician and help the latter see the errors in his judgment. However, wasn't this more like turning Seok Dong-Su into a quasi-cripple?

Lee Hyeon-Su tilted his head in confusion.

‘I don’t think this matter is serious enough for the Assembly Master to lose his temper, so why?’

Of course, most people would get angry from this situation. In a way, what Seok Dong-Su had done was similar to selling his country out to line his pockets. In the eyes of a patriot, that minister deserved to be beaten to a pulp.

The issue here was that, as far as Lee Hyeon-Su knew, Kang Jin-Ho was not a patriot.

‘Patriot, my ass!’

Kang Jin-Ho’s disinterest toward South Korea was concerning enough for Lee Hyeon-Su to sometimes wonder if his boss understood concepts like mother nation and defending one’s home country.

His attitude made some sense, though. After all, didn’t Kang Jin-Ho say the years he spent in China were much, much longer than his time in South Korea combined?

Considering Kang Jin-Ho's personality, he shouldn’t have gotten too angry about Seok Dong-Su siding with the Chinese.

So, what could have happened?

—Still, this development will help us out greatly in the end.

“Ah... Yes, that’s true.”

The most vocal opposition had become the most vocal supporter literally overnight. With that, the blocked path should open up, and everything should be plain sailing from now on.

-I believe the Prime Minister will use this opportunity to wrap up this project as quickly as possible. When that happens, we'll have to ask you for additional information. Please prepare them ahead of time and send them over right away.

“Of course. Don’t worry about that, sir.”

—Although, we do have a slight issue here...

“What is it, sir?”

—That fella, Seok Dong-Su... Will he return to his usual self? He's the Minister of Economy and Finance, after all. It'll be impossible for him in that state to fulfill his duties. And replacing him so soon after his appointment will be tricky for us, too. It'll damage the administration's reputation.

“Ah, that...” Lee Hyeon-Su muttered while scratching the back of his head. “Well, uh... Is it possible for him to resign voluntarily while citing poor health?”

—Unfortunately, he's too out of it to understand anything at the moment. If I'm being honest, that man should be committed to a psych ward right now. It's just that we're keeping it under wraps since the information of a government minister going crazy will set the public in a frenzy.

That sounded logical. Anyone interested in politics would have plenty of things to talk about for a whole week if they heard about this development, after all!

The current administration would most likely want to avoid creating such unsavory gossip.

“I see. Then, let me get back to you after confirming things on our end first,” said Lee Hyeon-Su.

—Does that mean your side had a hand in Minister Seok’s situation?

Lee Hyeon-Su frowned deeply. He knew he just made a slip of the tongue.

“No, not exactly, but...”

He wasn't sure what to say here, but thankfully, the National Assembly member didn't query it any further. Although, did that response qualify as a good thing? Lee Hyeon-Su wasn't sure.

—In any case, that’s the current situation. If there is another problem on our side, we’ll call you right away, Mister Lee.

“Thank you very much, sir. You helped us out a lot this time. If you don’t mind, I can prepare a token of appreciation for...”

—N-no, it’s fine, Mister Lee! You don’t have to worry about such things. I mean, you’ve already done so much for us until now, anyway. Expecting more from you is being too shameless, wouldn’t you say? Besides, it’s not as if I’ve done something noteworthy this time.

“Oh, uh... I see. Then, how about for the Prime Minister?”

—I think he’ll be fine, as well. He’s not the type to expect something like that, anyway. Then, uh, I’ll see how the situation unfolds on this side and give you a call later on. Goodbye!

“Goodbye, sir.”

Lee Hyeon-Su sighed under his breath while ending the call.

‘He sounds totally scared, doesn’t he?’

That National Assembly member would’ve been grinning ear to ear at the mere mention of a “token of appreciation” if this had been any other situation. These politicians didn't think twice about gobbling up the Martial Assembly’s bribes, after all! They didn’t even bother to put on a facade of modesty these days, too.

So, for such people to reject the offered gifts? It could only mean they were feeling a bit uncomfortable right now.

‘I guess that’s not very surprising.’

Lee Hyeon-Su helplessly chuckled.

Lee Jung-Geol, the former Assembly Master, did his darndest to build connections with the political community. It was just that his approach resembled the method the members of the organized gangs would have favored.

He generously greased palms and took care of things that annoyed the politicians.

By persisting with this method and steadily building connections, there would come a time when the other side could no longer say “No!” to the Assembly's requests. After all, the politicians had received too many bribes for that. Not to mention, they had been asking the Assembly to clean out the skeletons from their closets for a long time, too!

However, the Assembly never used such things to threaten the politicians. That was because “threats” would only be useful when the Assembly wanted to cut ties with the politicians. Besides, it'd become harder to build new bridges if the story got around, too.

In short, everyone thought of this arrangement as a potential threat that could bite the politicians back, like a hidden knife under the jacket. It was just that the people involved knew the knife was too rusted to be used in the first place.

When nicely put, this relationship could be called a working partnership. On the other hand, one could say...

‘We are dummies. Or pushovers. Whichever works.'

After all, the Assembly freely handed out money and willingly ran errands for the politicians. A dummy, indeed!

Then again, this subservient behavior must’ve been the reason for the Korean government’s lax attitude toward the Martial Assembly rapidly expanding its influence in the country.

Lee Hyeon-Su should acknowledge what deserved to be acknowledged. Without a doubt, Lee Jung-Geol's savviness in handling human relationships was far superior to Lee Hyeon-Su's.

During the military regime, Lee Jung-Geol did all the dirty work as the government's lackey. Once democracy swooped in to save the day, he dumped a truckload of money on the administration to wash away the memories of the past from the politicians' minds.

As a result, Lee Jung-Geol and the Assembly were viewed as cute and loyal hounds willing to lick the floor at the behest of the government just as the stiff-necked clique within the military, who didn't understand that their time had already ended, got systematically purged out of existence.

With this event, though, the politicians should learn the truth. They should have realized that the loyal hound boasted fangs several times sharper than anticipated! And that those fangs could easily kill them if they weren't careful!

‘Although this happened a bit earlier than I would have liked...’

Lee Hyeon-Su knew this had to happen sooner or later.

Judging from this brief phone conversation, it seemed the revelation had not led to any negative sentiments. At least, not yet, anyway. In that case, maybe this was for the best.

With this, the Martial Assembly’s scope of activity should expand a little more.

‘Instead of that, I should...’

Lee Hyeon-Su got up and rushed toward the office window. His hearing caught the familiar rumbling of an Italian engine. Sure enough, he spotted Kang Jin-Ho’s blood-red supercar entering through the Assembly HQ’s front gate in the distance.

“...I better speak to the Assembly Master and hear what happened from him.”

This idea scared him somewhat, though!

***

“...Huh.”

Kang Jin-Ho cocked an eyebrow. “Mm? What is it?”

“No, sir. It’s nothing,” said Lee Hyeon-Su while shaking his head.

‘For sure, something feels a bit...?’

He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but it felt like Kang Jin-Ho’s “vibe” seemed different somehow. The difference itself was quite minute to the point of nearly undetectable, but still...

How should Lee Hyeon-Su explain this feeling?

‘Right. It’s like him from the past...’

He suddenly recalled the past he didn't want to remember.

That was back when Kang Jin-Ho kicked down the Yeongnam Group's front door.

His current vibe was reminiscent of back when he showed up with the Assembly members and proceeded to slaughter the Yeongnam Group's martial artists by himself.

Lee Hyeon-Su nervously swallowed his saliva.

‘Gee whiz. Have I really forgotten that I’m working for a man this scary?’

He vividly recalled the sight of Kang Jin-Ho leisurely walking toward him while covered from head to toe in the still-warm blood of his enemies!

What an irony this was. To think Lee Hyeon-Su would end up working for a man responsible for the biggest fright in his entire life!

Kang Jin-Ho reclining on the couch and mouthing a cigarette oozed this distinctive languidness from back then.

...Which was something he had not been oozing lately.

‘Just what happened last night?’

Although paying a visit to Minister Seok Dong-Su sounded like a unique event, would it be monumental enough to affect Kang Jin-Ho to this degree? That seemed very unlikely.

That could only mean Kang Jin-Ho had a change of mind for some reason. But, what could it be...?

“Lee Hyeon-Su. Your report?”

“Oh. Yes, sir!” Lee Hyeon-Su hurriedly sobered up and stood at attention to start his morning briefing. “Sir! I received news that Minister Seok barged into the Prime Minister's residence and caused a scene early in the morning, saying he'd immediately proceed with the Assembly's matter.”

Kang Jin-Ho expressionlessly and silently gazed back at Lee Hyeon-Su.

With that, Lee Hyeon-Su was fully convinced now. This feeling was similar to when he first joined the Martial Assembly. His tension level immediately shot up through the roof.

“Sir! The Prime Minister's position is that, although they do not understand what happened, they will use this opening to finalize the legalization of the Martial Assembly.”

“Good. Proceed.”

“Understood! I was also asked if Minister Seok will revert to his usual self. Because he cannot suddenly quit the political stage, they, uh...”

“Tell them he will return to his old self once the legalization is finished.”

“I see. Then, could he...?”

Kang Jin-Ho shook his head. “No. He won’t hinder us anymore.”

“Understood, sir!”

Lee Hyeon-Su stood tall as the cogs in his brain spun even faster. With the Seok Dong-Su issue now taken care of...

“Lee Hyeon-Su.”

“Yes, sir!” Lee Hyeon-Su hurriedly stood at attention again.

“I want you to secure the list of people who tried to pressure and threaten the Assembly during this event.”

“You mean, the pro-China faction, sir?”

Kang Jin-Ho nodded. “Yeah, them.”

“I’ve already secured the list of names, sir!”

“Good. Tell our contact in the government to purge those who can be purged right away. And ask the contact to inform us who they can’t deal with for various reasons.”

“...So we can eliminate them ourselves?”

“Well, we can't let those in the pockets of the Crimson King's faction do whatever they please."

“Understood. However, it won't be easy, sir. If so many high-ranking officials get purged one after the other, it’ll inevitably draw the attention of...”

“Create a plausible justification,” said Kang Jin-Ho, his voice cold and withdrawn. “Leave them alone, and they will try to hinder us again. Leaving trash untouched because it’s annoying to take them out will only lead to a fly infestation. Handle those you can handle. As for those you can’t, I’ll deal with them.”

“Understood. But, mm...”

Just before Lee Hyeon-Su could say something else, Kang Jin-Ho beat him to the punch. “As compensation, tell the contact that we will help the administration out by handling a few of their headache-inducing problems. And don't forget to sweeten the deal with money, too.”

“Understood, sir.”

Click...

Kang Jin-Ho leisurely lit his cigarette, then sucked in a lungful of the gray smoke. Once he exhaled, a puff of unhealthy smoke lazily dissipated in the air around him.

“Once you’re finished with this matter, go and join the newbie training program at Jaegyeong.”

“Understood, sir!”

“Okay. Tell the directors to come and see me.”

“Yes, sir.”

Lee Hyeon-Su bowed ninety degrees, then exited the Assembly Master’s office. While cautiously closing the door behind him...

‘Yup. Something has definitely changed about him...!’

He looked down at his arm under the sleeve and saw all the hair standing on its end.

Funnily enough, though, Lee Hyeon-Su didn’t hate this goosebumps-inducing feeling.

‘Sure, it’s nice to work under a friendly Assembly Master, but...!’

In an era of strife, a charismatic leader was always better than a friendly one.

While thinking that an entertaining change might soon occur within the Assembly, Lee Hyeon-Su hurriedly walked down the corridor. He wanted others to experience this change as soon as possible.

...So that they could wake up and pull up their socks again!

Lee Hyeon-Su’s steps became even faster.