CH 314

"We're nearly finished with the cleanup, Assembly Master."

Kang Jin-Ho and Bang Jin-Hun relocated to the side of the road and relaxedly drank coffee after the team dispatched by the Martial Assembly arrived and started cleaning the scene up. Obviously, the cleaning crew brought coffee along with them.

The notion of calmly enjoying coffee near the location where lots of people lost their lives in a gruesome fashion might seem incomprehensible to 'normal' logic, but such a thing wasn't all that out of character for these people.

Bang Jin-Hun glanced at his underling. "What about that lone survivor?"

“Sir, we've taken him to the Assembly HQ.”

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

“...Let me tell ya, that bastard was one stubborn son of a b*tch.”

“I'm sorry?” The underling, Cheon Tae-Hun, tilted his head.

“Bloody hell. He never told me the PIN number to his bank account, you see? He's gonna go to hell anyway, so why can't he compensate me for my bloody car before he leaves?! And he's the one who blew up my car, too! A person should have morals, man! Morals, I tell ya!”

Cheon Tae-Hun dazedly stared at Bang Jin-Hun.

'What the hell, this dude...?'

Bang Jin-Hun almost died tonight, yet he was worried about his car? No, wait. Of course, he'd be worried about it. It cost him an arm and a leg, after all.

Cheon Tae-Hun's gaze now contained a mixture of sympathy and criticism.

A director on the level of Bang Jin-Hun should receive a sizable annual salary from the Martial Assembly. Bang Jin-Hun also had quite a few private business interests, which earned him quite a bit of coin, too.

The number of martial artists not really interested in wealth was unusually high compared to regular people. On the other hand, though, martial artists were also fully capable of making money from various sources, so they were never really short of funds.

However, Cheon Tae-Hun was well aware of Bang Jin-Hun's actual financial situation, hence his sympathy for the new Assembly Master. The amount of money he had to spend while trying to build a faction of his own to fight against Lee Jung-Geol was gobsmacking, to say the least.

Bang Jin-Hun spent every dime to his name whenever he came into some money for his cause. No wonder he was still living in a one-room rented apartment to this day!

Even so, Bang Jin-Hun still decided to swallow the brave pill and splurge on a nice car for a change, thereby evolving himself from a well-paid poor person to a well-paid 'car poor' person. But to think that nice car would go kablooey in front of his eyes! No wonder he was so enraged right now.[1]

“...Uh, sir. Can't you, like, get a new car through the Martial Assembly?”

"Listen here, man!" Bang Jin-Hun yelled angrily. "I haven't been the Assembly Master for long, right?! I'm under so much scrutiny as it is, so can't you imagine what those stinking old men will say if I get a new company car so soon?! 'Aigoo~, our dear new Assembly Master, you look oh-so-nice in your new ride...' That's what those old farts will say, you dumbass! Think before saying something, will ya!"

“As your fellow human rather than as an Assembly member, I sympathize with you, sir.” Cheon Tae-Hun sighed and shook his head.

Bang Jin-Hun suddenly lowered his decibel and asked his underling. “Hey, man... You think the insurance will cover that?”

"Sir, the scene of the 'accident' is about to be wiped clean and disappear for good. In that case, what insurance nonsense are you even talking about?"

“...Can't I do something to make that happen?”

“Oh, are you thinking of giving them your car's black box? I'm sure they'll be super-pleased about it, sir. And yes, they'll probably agree to pay you according to the insurance agreement. As long as you agree to release the recorded footage, that is.”

Bang Jin-Hun could only ruefully lick his lips at Cheon Tae-Hun's sarcastic response.

"Sir, please behave with some dignity. Don't forget that you're now the Assembly Master. And the Yeongnam Group targeted your life tonight. It wouldn't be strange to see war breaking out at this stage. And they even resorted to using guns, too! Sir, this is unprecedented. I don't remember anything as big as this happening in the last decade, at the very least! The right thing to do right now is to plan our response, so how can you be stressed about your car's insurance and whatnot, sir!"

"Hey! Don't run your mouth off just because it wasn't your car, goddamn it!"

“...I might as well talk to a wall.” Cheon Tae-Hun facepalmed just then.

Bang Jin-Hun was usually more serious and contemplative than this, but after acquiring the Martial Assembly, it seemed his goal in life had disappeared. He was pretty good at hiding his dumb side most of the time, but it seemed to be jumping out to the fore more than usual lately. What a relief that there was no one nearby to hear Bang Jin-Hun's dumb outburst just then.

“In any case, what will we do now, sir?” Cheon Tae-Hun asked.

“What do you mean?”

“How are we handling this, sir? We need to respond, right? Were you thinking of doing nothing after getting hit in the face like this?”

“Of course not. We will respond in some fashion.” Bang Jin-Hun muttered while glancing at Kang Jin-Ho.

It's true that they needed to come up with a plan to fight back. However, that sneaky glance was meant to imply that Bang Jin-Hun couldn't decide on it by himself. Cheon Tae-Hun understood that and had to glance at Kang Jin-Ho as well.

'Urgh...'

Kang Jin-Ho looked clean and meticulous after washing himself up with the water Bang Jin-Hun had ordered his underlings to bring. However, even this clean appearance was enough to shrivel up Cheon Tae-Hun's heart.

Kang Jin-Ho might look quite normal right now, but remembering what he resembled back when Cheon Tae-Hun and his colleagues arrived here...!

'Geez, it might be better to encounter a damn specter instead.'

Cheon Tae-Hun understood full well that they were now on the same side and he was working for Kang Jin-Ho, but... His fear of Kang Jin-Ho branded deep into his soul still showed no signs of dissipating.

All he did was stare at Kang Jin-Ho for a second or two, but Cheon Tae-Hun's entire body went rigid as if all the lubricants in his joints had dried up.

"E-excuse me...?" Cheon Tae-Hun cautiously spoke up, prompting Kang Jin-Ho to raise his head and stare at him. 'Oh...'

Unlike their previous encounters, Kang Jin-Ho was looking back at Cheon Tae-Hun like a normal person. Cheon Tae-Hun only saw Kang Jin-Ho during combat situations up until now, so he found this sight simply too difficult to get used to.

Even so, this was far more preferable than the other option, so...

“What will you do now, Mister Kang?”

“I'm sorry?”

“...We thought there should be a response from our side, you see.”

“A response, you say...?” Kang Jin-Ho rubbed his chin in contemplation.

'Wow. This is kinda... picturesque?'

Cheon Tae-Hun could only cough quietly to clear his throat. He was ordered to bring a change of clothes for Kang Jin-Ho, but where would he suddenly source something like that in the middle of the night? So, he estimated Kang Jin-Ho's size and grabbed the 'standard' black business suit that some labeled as the Martial Assembly's unofficial uniform/ standard work overall. That's all he did, but now...

'Now that's a crazy-good fit, isn't it?'

Obviously, most Assembly members boasted a great physique. Not only did they exercise, but they also cultivated, which blessed them with broad shoulders and athletic figures with no useless fat on them. And taller heights than most people, too.

How unfortunate it was, then, for such folks to boast rather peculiar fashion sense, making them wear whatever the hell they felt like and creating a nightmarish eyesore in the process. If it hadn't been for that, they could've created an impromptu fashion show every day simply by wearing common business suits.

However, Kang Jin-Ho in a suit looked so sharp and smart that even Cheon Tae-Hun, who was quite familiar with the perfectly snug fit of martial artists, had to marvel at the sight. So much so that Cheon Tae-Hun even forgot about his instinctive fear of Kang Jin-Ho for a moment there.

'Hang on, what the heck am I even thinking about here?'

They weren't here to put on a fashion show, so what on Earth was he doing? Cheon Tae-Hun shook his head to get rid of all the useless thoughts in his mind.

“I'll think about it some more,” said Kang Jin-Ho.

“...Some more?”

"Yes. It's not like we can immediately do something back to them anyway. Being angry doesn't mean we can just march straight into the Yeongnam Group's base with grenades and blow them up. Obviously."

“Well, that is true, but...” Cheon Tae-Hun blurred the end of his sentence. Kang Jin-Ho cocked an eyebrow as if to say Carry on. “We should at least strengthen our security and be more vigilant. They have already crossed the line, so it'll be much harder to predict what they will resort to next.”

“Indeed…”

"In my personal opinion, we should make our move as soon as possible, even if it's not right now. If we don't do anything, we'll be putting ourselves in a one-sided defensive position against the attacks from a group of bastards willing to cross lines. In any other circumstances, waging a defensive battle might be a better strategy, but..." Cheon Tae-Hun briefly stopped there and pointed at Bang Jin-Hun's G-Class, now a scorched hump of metal. "...To me, it feels like doing so could lead to more harm than good."

“Mm...” Kang Jin-Ho slowly nodded.

Cheon Tae-Hun continued. “And please help us protect your family better, Mister Kang. If it's those bastards...”

Kang Jin-Ho's expression distorted a little at the mention of his family. Cheon Tae-Hun hurriedly clamped his mouth shut after noticing that change.

'What a psycho-like bastard!'

People didn't come with a switch that could be flipped in an instant, so how could Kang Jin-Ho flip from one extreme end of the emotional scale to the other with a snap of a finger? How was anyone supposed to deal with that?!

Kang Jin-Ho muttered, “I agree. Please enhance the security around that side, then. Make sure that the one in charge contacts me directly, too.”

Cheon Tae-Hun didn't need to ask what the 'that side' was to know the answer. Suppressed by the silent pressure Kang Jin-Ho emitted, Cheon Tae-Hun could only nod in silence.

“F*cking hell...” Bang Jin-Hun suddenly shot up to his feet. “Listen, Tae-Hun.”

“Yes, Assembly Master.”

“Tell those folks staying outside the Assembly base to come in. We have enough beds to accommodate them all, right?”

“Yes, we do. But...”

“If they insist on living outside only for these Yeongnam bastards to attack us like rabid dogs, we'll have no answers at all. Even if they say no, tell them nicely to get their butts back in the Assembly base and stay there for the time being.”

“Sir. However, the directors could be resistant to the idea.”

“Those old farts can kick the bucket for all I care.”

“...Please, please lower your voice when saying stuff like that. Please!”

"Those old farts can handle themselves. Besides, they don't deserve their salaries if they can't even protect themselves. Leave them be and prioritize protecting the younger generation first. They won't end up in a good state if they stupidly get mixed up in this sh*t." Bang Jin-Hun spoke in a decisive tone, confirming that he had regained his composure. "And Mister Jin-Ho, will you be alright on your end? These bastards seem to be targeting you, specifically, you know? And tonight is merely the beginning of their assault. That old fox, Kim Seok-Il, is infamous for being tenacious and obsessive, you see? If the opening salvo is like this, I can't even imagine what else he's gonna do next. Evacuating to somewhere safe with your family until everything settles down might not be such a bad idea."

Kang Jin-Ho shook his head. “No, it'll be fine.”

“Wait, Mister Jin-Ho. You shouldn't underestimate the severity of this situation.”

“Underestimate, you say?” Kang Jin-Ho faintly grinned.

Bang Jin-Hun stopped persuading Kang Jin-Ho after seeing that smile. His head might not fully understand how 'intense' the meaning behind that expression was, but his instincts certainly did.

'This is more than I thought...'

Bang Jin-Hun knew full well already how precious family was to Kang Jin-Ho. But this reaction was much more extreme than Bang Jin-Hun had bargained for.

“I'm not underestimating anything. It's just that this is something I should be doing,” said Kang Jin-Ho.

“I see. Well, in that case... I won't say anything else,” Bang Jin-Hun sheepishly scratched the back of his head.

“Thank you for worrying about us. Well, then...” Kang Jin-Ho glanced at the Assembly members busy cleaning the road. “It seems getting to know each other better is not going to happen today. I'd like to go home in that case. Will that be fine?”

“Of course. Let us try our luck next time.”

"Mm..." Kang Jin-Ho nodded, then got up from the lawn chair. "I pray you'll do a good job with what I asked for."

“No need to worry, sir.” Cheon Tae-Hun bowed deeply as a sign of his extreme courtesy.

Kang Jin-Ho nodded back and leisurely walked away while waving his hand.

Cheon Tae-Hun watched that before asking Bang Jin-Hun. “...Sir, will it be really okay?”

“What will?”

“His family is in danger, so isn't he too unconcerned? That's what I'm thinking, sir.”

“That's not it, you dumbass.” Bang Jin-Hun loudly tutted away.

“It's not? Then, what is it, sir?”

“He's being like that precisely because he is deeply concerned.”

“Huh? In that case, wouldn't it be better to receive our protection?”

“Nah. He doesn't trust us.”

“...Really? Meaning, he still views us with suspicion?”

“No, not that. He doesn't trust our skills.”

“...Oh.”

Bang Jin-Hun muttered in a self-deprecatory manner, “To that dude, his family is something he must protect above all else. So, leaving their protection to the likes of you will only make him nervous. And that's why he wishes to personally get involved.”

“Mm? But sir, didn't he ask us to strengthen the security around his family?”

"No. That's more like him telling us to install an unmanned alarm system. He didn't say to stop the assault but to contact him if we discover something suspicious."

“Ah...!” Cheon Tae-Hun roughly scratched his head.

"I hope that Kim Seok-Il bastard hasn't gone crazy enough to hurt powerless civilians..." Bang Jin-Hun bitterly muttered.

“Sir, judging from this event, he probably already has lost half of his marbles.”

“And that's what worries me,” Bang Jin-Hun narrowed his eyes.

'One wrong move, and it'll bring about a blood bath...'

Tonight's event proved 'it' once again. The 'it' in this case was the fact that Kang Jin-Ho was merciless and cruel to those who dared to target him. But then, what would happen if that one-in-a-million chance happened? What would Kang Jin-Ho do if his family got hurt by the Yeongnam Group's ambush?

'Then... It'll be the end.'

If that happened, the Korean martial world wouldn't have to worry about the clash between the Yeongnam Group and the Martial Assembly but about the apocalyptic battle against the devil named Kang Jin-Ho. Bang Jin-Hun didn't dare imagine how wide-reaching the ripples would be, but he still thought it wouldn't end with the annihilation of the Yeongnam Group.

“Find all the personnel you can move around and assign them to his family,” said Bang Jin-Hun while massaging the bridge of his nose.

“Assembly Master, you know that is easier said than done.”

“I'm not being thoughtless here, Tae-Hun. Make sure to figure out who and where to protect, okay?”

“...Yes, sir.”

Bang Jin-Hun glanced up at the sky, his eyes withdrawn and contemplative.

'So, the only thing to do now is go to war...'

He had 'fun' accepting the declaration of war tonight, hadn't he? And with that, a war that could no longer be stopped had truly begun.

1. 'Car poor' means you've spent a considerable size of your income on buying a car, leaving little for everything else. ☜