CH 185

All he did was kick the side of the dagger. Yet, that caused a loud, blunt noise to explode, as if a steel hammer had struck a metallic object. The momentum gained by kicking the blade allowed Kang Jin-Ho to fly toward the building like a bullet.

SHATTER!!!

Kang Jin-Ho's back slammed into the glass, obliterating it completely. The momentum carried his body into the building. Kang Jin-Ho pulled Jo Sang-Pil into an embrace as his back landed powerfully on the floor.

Bang!

“Kuh-euhk!”

The impact force was so great that even Kang Jin-Ho couldn't hold in his pained gasp. The floor had stopped his rapid descent, but that didn't mean the downward momentum from his falling was canceled without a backlash. After all, he had to have fallen at least twenty floors.

“...Cough!” A dry heave of a cough left Kang Jin-Ho's mouth while dizziness threatened to rob him of his consciousness.

“W-what the hell?!”

The office workers on this floor panicked and jumped out of their seats and cubicles when two people suddenly burst through the window. They were on the lower floor, so they had no idea what had happened on the upper floors.

“H-how did people come through the window like that?”

“Is he alright? That impact looked nasty!”

The crowd quickly gathered around Kang Jin-Ho. One of the onlookers even asked him out of concern, “A-are you alright?”

“...Mm.” Kang Jin-Ho didn't bother replying. He focused on undoing the safety harness around his waist. “...Cough!”

Dry coughs continued to burn his throat while the dizziness persistently announced its presence. However, his body was still moving as he commanded. It seemed that his spine and neck were uninjured from the fall. Kang Jin-Ho glanced at the crowd. “Please call 119. This man needs help.”

“L-let me see...”

Kang Jin-Ho pushed aside the concerned people trying to stop him, then headed to the nearest elevator. He limped toward the elevator and patiently rode on it to reach the roof. When he tried to open the roof access door, though, he found it firmly locked.

Baaaang!

He roughly kicked the door and broke it off the hinges. While making a hard, cold face, he stepped into the rooftop.

Whoooooosh-!

Gusts of wind as sharp as blades whooshed past. Kang Jin-Ho scanned the empty rooftop for a while before tightly clenching his fist.

'So, it was just a greeting? Is that it?'

‘In that case, I've received your greeting. And it's my turn to greet you now.’

Kang Jin-Ho's eyes grew cold and withdrawn.

***

Jo Gyu-Min asked again, “How are you feeling? Are you okay?”

“Yes, I am,” said Kang Jin-Ho. He had lost count of how many times he was asked that question by now.

Despite saying he was fine, Kang Jin-Ho was forced into the back of Jo Gyu-Min's car on their way to a hospital. Jo Gyu-Min argued that Kang Jin-Ho had to get a proper check-up.

Although this was a little bothersome, Kang Jin-Ho chose not to decline the offer. After all, Jo Gyu-Min was doing this out of concern.

Jo Gyu-Min asked while glancing at the rearview mirror, “What about your parents? Should I...?”

Kang Jin-Ho quickly shook his head. “No, do not tell them.”

If Baek Hyeon-Jeong heard about how her son had fallen from a skyscraper, she may pass out, right there and then. Kang Jin-Ho didn't think his family should be informed about this event. Besides, he didn't know where to begin his explanation, anyway.

Jo Gyu-Min continued, “We'll try our best to stop the police from investigating this matter, but Jaegyeong is a little lacking in matters related to governmental authority. I don't think we can completely avoid an investigation, unfortunately.”

Kang Jin-Ho shook his head again. “It's fine.”

“Will you be alright when that happens, Mister Jin-Ho?”

“Even if Jaegyeong doesn't step up, another person, or a group, will do it, anyway.”

“I'm sorry?” Jo Gyu-Min narrowed his eyes in confusion.

Kang Jin-Ho didn't bother replying and simply stared outside the car window. If society's ruling class was dominated by the 'cultivators,’ just like how what seemed to be the case with the military, then it would be safe to assume that they would systematically erase all traces of incidents involving martial artists from the public view.

Without going that far, those ‘Martials’ would have found it impossible to hide from the world at large.

'I'll get my answer soon enough. I just have to be patient...'

Kang Jin-Ho's expression remained hard and cold as he watched the passing scenery.

***

“The patient is suffering from mild contusion,” said the doctor.

“...I'm sorry?” Jo Gyu-Min blinked his eyes in stupefaction.

“There is some indication of mild concussion as well, but it shouldn't pose a significant problem. The patient should be back to his normal self in one, maybe two days.”

“...???”

‘Dear doctor, this young man fell from the 45th floor to the 22nd. To put it in another perspective, he basically fell from the top of a 23-floor apartment building! Yet, are you seriously telling me he's suffering from only a mild contusion?!’

'...No, hang on a sec.'

Jo Gyu-Min hurriedly shook his head. It was already illogical for a person to survive a fall like that now, wasn't it? Twenty-three floors weren't some kind of a playground slide, after all! Falling from that high would turn a person into a flat pancake.

Even though Jo Gyu-Min thought he had seen plenty of Kang Jin-Ho’s ridiculous feats in China...

The doctor adjusted his glasses. “Excuse me. From how high up did you say the patient had fallen?”

“N-no, it's not important, Doc.” Jo Gyu-Min ended up shaking his head. Blurting the truth out now might get him committed to a psychiatric ward instead of the department of surgery... And the one who would get committed would be Jo Gyu-Min, instead! “I-in that case, there won't be any surgery, doctor?”

The doctor nodded. “Yes. Although the patient's muscles seem injured, it's not to the extent of requiring surgery. Letting the body naturally heal itself might be the best course of action here. However, if the pain persists and becomes unbearable, then the patient should consider taking painkillers…”

“No, no need.” Kang Jin-Ho sitting next to the doctor flatly declined.

The doctor could only frown a little. “But if the pain gets worse...”

It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV.

“No. Still don't need it.” Kang Jin-Ho briefly shook his head, then got up. “Thank you for your help, Doc.”

“Ah, yes. Of course.” The doctor was slightly taken aback. He watched Jo Gyu-Min and Kang Jin-Ho leave his consultation office, then sighed softly to himself. “What kind of a physique is that...?”

Once upon a time, the doctor proudly boasted a six-pack of his own. But that young man's physique was so unreal it almost looked like a CG creation. Although the several bruises on his body ever so slightly weakened his Chad-like aura, anyone who clapped their eyes on his cut physique would have thought they were looking at a Greek statue of a god.

“...I guess it's time to hit the gym again.”

It seemed Kang Jin-Ho had inadvertently damaged the doctor's pride.

***

“Since the doctor said you're fine, I don't have anything much to add. Even so, please recuperate for a few more days, Mister Jin-Ho,” said Jo Gyu-Min in a firm tone.

“I will,” Kang Jin-Ho replied with a nod.

“I don't know what exactly went down, but it feels like this event happened because of my recommendation. I don't know how to apologize to you.”

“No, not true.” Kang Jin-Ho resolutely shook his head. “You're not at fault for this event, Mister Gyu-Min. It would have happened regardless of what new part-time job I got. After all, it wasn't an accident, you see.”

Jo Gyu-Min's expression grew somber at that revelation. It was not an accident?

“Does that mean someone was aiming for your life, Mister Jin-Ho?”

Kang Jin-Ho quietly nodded.

“But who would do that?” Jo Gyu-Min narrowed his eyes.

“That's what I can't figure out,” said Kang Jin-Ho with a groan. He knew it had to be a cultivator, a Martial. However, individual Martials or factions Kang Jin-Ho had come in contact with so far shouldn't have a reason to kill him.

'...No, wait.'

Kang Jin-Ho's eyes sharply gleamed. There might be no one among the Martials, but plenty of people still wanted to see him dead out of pure resentment. For one, there was that thing he had done back in the military. And how about that dust-up in China? It wouldn't be so strange to see the people involved in those incidents trying to kill him.

Kang Jin-Ho nodded slightly, then looked at Jo Gyu-Min. “I have a favor to ask you.”

“Please speak...”

“There was an unknown man on the rooftop.”

“The rooftop, you say? In other words, someone had severed the safety wires?”

“I'd like you to secure the footage of that unknown man. CCTV cameras must have recorded his face as he made his way to the roof. And when the cleaning crew regains consciousness, get their testimonies to figure out what happened on the rooftop.”

“Understood. Leave it to me.”

Kang Jin-Ho settled back in the car's seat with withdrawn eyes. The cleaning crew that should have been on standby on the roof was found unconscious in the top floor's bathroom. That was a good-enough piece of evidence that the assailant was only aiming for Kang Jin-Ho's life. If that unknown man had been a bloodthirsty murderer, he would have no reason to keep those cleaners alive. To a martial artist capable of throwing daggers with such accuracy and speed, killing a few civilians was a piece of cake.

“Mister Gyu-Min, mobilize every person you can on this case, please.”

“Understood.” Jo Gyu-Min bowed deeply.

Kang Jin-Ho said he was asking for a favor, but his tone of voice this time was markedly different from his past requests. This was an order disguised as a request. For the first time during their interactions, Kang Jin-Ho issued an order to Jo Gyu-Min.

Jo Gyu-Min's expression hardened with fresh determination. “You can leave it to me! I'll definitely find out who that man was!”

He had already instinctively figured out that his 'success' in Jaegyeong didn't depend on Hwang Jeong-Hu, but on Kang Jin-Ho. No wonder he was burning in the fierce determination to give his all and resolve this 'request' at any cost.

***

“That's what I said, but now...” Jo Gyu-Min mouthed a cigarette as a hollow expression filled his face. “Was he a ghost or something?”

Kang Jin-Ho wasn't the type to lie, so someone suspicious had to have been present on the rooftop. However, the CCTV cameras hadn't captured anyone suspicious going in or out of the rooftop.

“What a thorough ghost our guy is...”

Of course, Jo Gyu-Min knew they were dealing with a person, not a ghost. The cleaning crew got 'transferred' to the top floor's toilet while every single CCTV camera on that floor was out of commission. That couldn't have been a mere coincidence. Especially when considering how those cameras had been physically knocked out of service—a person had to be responsible for that.

“But then... Just how did our perp get to the top floor in the first place?”

Obviously, Jo Gyu-Min had checked the camera feed from the stairwell and the elevators. But no suspicious person was filmed heading to the rooftop. It was as if Jo Gyu-Min had walked into an episode of the Twilight Zone or something.

“Even though I said I'll definitely find them out...”

He hadn't even gotten started yet, but Jo Gyu-Min had already found himself facing an insurmountable obstacle. He couldn't help but groan weakly at his predicament. He needed a trace, a hint. Anything, really, if he wanted to get his investigation going. But now... Wasn't this just too much?!

Vrrrr...

Jo Gyu-Min's smartphone suddenly vibrated. When he saw the name 'Hwang Jeong-Hu' on the phone's screen, he scrambled to stub the cigarette out before answering the call while standing at attention. “Yes, sir! Jo Gyu-Min speaking!”

His complexion quickly became pale at the voice coming from the phone's speaker.

“Yes, sir! I'll be right there!”

Jo Gyu-Min heard how enraged Hwang Jeong-Hu sounded, so he didn't dare to waste any more time and rushed straight toward his car. He couldn't help but feel that his luck today may get even worse.

***

“Someone aimed for Kang Jin-Ho's life?!” Hwang Jeong-Hu growled like a scary beast.

“...Yes, Chairman.” Jo Gyu-Min nodded. He was working quite hard right now to calm his pounding heart.

'Right, I forgot that the Chairman is this kind of person.'

Maybe they had grown pretty friendly over the last few years, or Jo Gyu-Min simply had become too lax these days. Either way, he couldn't tell why he thought Hwang Jeong-Hu was like a kindly neighborhood grandpa. Having seen the rage flooding out of the Chairman, though, Jo Gyu-Min was rudely reminded of just who his boss was.

Simply put, a giant of this era was unleashing his fury. “Who! Who dares to target Jin-Ho?!”

“Sir, I still haven't...” Jo Gyu-Min faltered slightly.

“Find them, now!”

“S-sir?”

“Find them out, no matter what! I don't care even if you have to utilize Jaegyeong's full power! Find out who was responsible! I'll grant you full authority!” Hwang Jeong-Hu roared like an enraged lion, forcing Jo Gyu-Min to simply nod away in a daze. “You can do this, right? Right, Gyu-Min!?”

“Y-yes, sir!” Jo Gyu-Min replied affirmatively before he could catch himself. He knew he had made a mistake just then, but that ship had already set sail.

“Find those bastards! And report back to me pronto! Prioritize this matter above all else, understand? You can leave now!”

“Yes, Chairman!” Jo Gyu-Min hurriedly bowed.

“And Jo Gyu-Min!”

“Sir!” Jo Gyu-Min stood at attention like a frozen statue and waited for Hwang Jeong-Hu to finish.

“Find out who was responsible, no matter what!”

“I'll do my best, sir.” Jo Gyu-Min bowed again, this time at an angle of ninety degrees, then cautiously slipped out of the chairman's office.

'Damn it, what... What did I just do?!'

Now that he had exited the oppressive chairman's office, the realization struck Jo Gyu-Min like a brick wall. Combing through the CCTV footage hadn't yielded even a single hair of the assailant, never mind a solid piece of evidence! So, why did he say he would find out who the culprit was?!

'I… I better go back inside and...'

Before this situation could get any worse, he had to come clean and tell the chairman that this task was impossible. Jo Gyu-Min turned around and reached out to the door handle only for some strange noises coming from the office to stop him dead in his tracks.

Bang! Crash! Shatter!

The noises of things breaking and shattering took Jo Gyu-Min by surprise, and he tried to open the door. However, a secretary manning the doorway quickly walked closer and stopped him. “Chairman sometimes breaks stuff like that whenever he's angry about something, Chief. Entering the office now will only lead you to a disaster.”

“...Seriously?” Jo Gyu-Min's shoulders slumped lower in dejection. He trudged to the stairwell, and once he arrived at this deserted location, he pulled out his phone and called someone.

“...Mom? It's me, Gyu-Min. How are you? Is everything alright on that side?” Jo Gyu-Min muttered into the phone in a sorrowful voice. “...By the way, Mom? Can't I, like, quit this company?”