CH 359

Thunk...

Bang Jin-Hun watched the office doorway close without much power, then mouthed a fresh cigarette. A smirk of delight formed on his face. “Dumb brats. How dare they try to mess with me?”

Kang Jin-Ho tutted. “That wasn’t nice, Mister Jin-Hun.”

“Mister Jin-Ho, you gotta trample on unruly kids who don't know their place before it's too late. If you are too understanding and give them an inch, they will soon demand the whole nine yards. That's what these brats are like.”

“Then, you should have rebuked them or something.”

“Eiii, that's gonna take the shine off my prestige, you know?”

Kang Jin-Ho narrowed his eyes and stared at Bang Jin-Hun.

'The way I see it, you just have a bad personality...'

Seeing how Bang Jin-Hun was having fun while tormenting other people, Kang Jin-Ho was sure he had a terrible personality. Still, he thought Bang Jin-Hun was an amusing person in his own right.

Bang Jin-Hun took a couple of puffs of his cigarette, then looked at Kang Jin-Ho. “Well, those brats aren't important, is it? The really important part is what we'll do from now on.”

“Mm…” Kang Jin-Ho slowly nodded. It was time to stop procrastinating and finish this 'matter' once and for all. He had been holding himself back admirably well until now, but that was no longer necessary.

Bang Jin-Hun rubbed his chin. “I am worried about the thing getting way too big and out of our control, though…”

“Mm…”

“Too many Yeongnam Group bastards escaping could balloon our problem beyond our control, Mister Jin-Ho. Imagine a crowd of injured men tumbling out of a mountainside. There's no guarantee they won't get snapped by a camera or two. And we certainly don't have any guarantees that those photos won't end up in the media. We'll do our best to prevent that from happening, but... A chaotic fight on that level means the internet will play a part no matter what we try.”

“Now that you mention it, I've been wondering about something. Haven't you had events of this level before?” Kang Jin-Ho sat forward and asked.

“We have three response teams for that.”

“I'm sorry?” Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head.

Bang Jin-Hun chuckled. “I should clarify. There are three internet response teams. That's on our side, while the Yeongnam Group has their own. And they all get to work roughly at the same time.”

“Internet response teams?”

“Yes. Their job is to see if any posts and blogs about martial artists pop up. After finding one, they quickly lead the consensus toward urban legends or report the post to the admin and get it removed with excuses such as breaking the AUP.” Bang Jin-Hun sucked on his cigarette before finishing his explanation. “We haven't had trouble so far since we have ties to several internet portals, you see? It's one of the few good things the former Assembly Master did. While everyone was going, 'what the heck is this internet thing?' Lee Jung-Geol acted quickly and formed response teams to prevent stories about us from spreading in public.”

“...I didn't think such a thing was even possible.”

“It's possible, and that's why we're still doing it. And we have considerable sway, too. So much so that even the government... Ahem, please pretend you didn't hear anything.”

It sounded like Bang Jin-Hun wanted to cover up something, but Kang Jin-Ho didn't try to dig any further. He thought it wasn't all that important in this discussion, to begin with. “Don't worry, I will. So, the gist is... We'll run into a clear wall by relying on that method. Am I getting it right?”

“Yes. I fear there will be too many eyes watching. And, if too many folks start talking about the same thing, the public will grow suspicious. Trying to cover that up later will be a huge headache for us.”

“Hmm…” Kang Jin-Ho sighed deeply. “In that case, we need to ensure there aren't any escapees, then.”

“That's easier said than done, though. We might have more people, but the difference is negligible. When the fighting breaks out, we might gain a numerical upper hand. But the advantage isn't large enough to catch all the escapees.”

“I have an idea, so don't worry about it.” Kang Jin-Ho narrowed his eyes.

“Eh? An... idea?”

“Yes. And it's pretty simple, too.”

Bang Jin-Hun felt his heart tumble to the pit of his stomach when the corners of Kang Jin-Ho's lips ominously curled up.

'What is he planning to do to them...?'

Kang Jin-Ho smirking ominously like that always instilled a sense of dread and anxiety in Bang Jin-Hun.

'Dang it. And I thought Mister Jin-Ho's mood had improved...!'

Kang Jin-Ho's mood had fallen past the pits, broken through Earth's crust and was sinking into the planet's core, only for it to return to 'normalcy' after the noble sacrifices of the Japanese assassins, which Bang Jin-Hun thought was pretty ironic. Since Kang Jin-Ho found an avenue to vent his steam, which he had to bottle up for a while, his mood would obviously improve, but...

'...But, the problem with that situation is, he has to kill people for that!'

Feeling 'better' after murdering a whole bunch of people was obviously a big problem. Sane-minded regular people wouldn't even dream of venting their stress that way. No, scratch that. Even the martial artists wouldn't accept that notion, and their repulsion toward murder and violence was far duller than regular civilians!

Every now and then, Bang Jin-Hun would get this sense of extreme contradiction from Kang Jin-Ho. On one hand, Kang Jin-Ho was incomparably logical, acted like a commoner despite his incredible power, and was even surprisingly sentimental at times. On the other hand, he could sometimes make others wonder if he was a psychopath incapable of human emotions. Worse, he even came across as a devil in human disguise.

...Just like now.

'Well, I should be grateful toward the Japanese, at least...'

Bang Jin-Hun could guarantee that if the Japanese hadn't shown up and Gong Yeong-Gil and Yi Myeong-Hwan ran their mouths, those two poor bastards would've ended up in a wretched state of neither living nor dead.

In other words, the Japanese had inadvertently saved the lives of two Korean martial artists tonight.

“Mister Jin-Ho, don't you mind telling me what your idea is? It's not like I'm doubting you. However, knowing what it is beforehand will make my job easier.”

Kang Jin-Ho smiled meaningfully. “You know, I almost charged straight into the Yeongnam Group's base when my anger nearly got the better of me not too long ago. But a thought stopped me. What if all those martial artists start running away? I wouldn't have a way to stop them.”

“...Yes, very true.”

“But now we have the solution to that pesky problem.”

“Huh?”

Bang Jin-Hun tilted his head. Did Kang Jin-Ho fail to understand? Didn't Bang Jin-Hun say that if the Yeongnam Group bastards were serious about fleeing, there was no stopping them despite the Martial Assembly's slight numerical advantage?

Kang Jin-Ho continued to smirk. “So, there is nothing to fret about.”

'...I don't care anymore.'

Bang Jin-Hun groaned softly. Judging from how Kang Jin-Ho was being obtuse with his answer, he obviously didn't want to reveal his cards. In that case, it'd be better for Bang Jin-Hun's mental health to stop asking about it. His experience had taught him that once Kang Jin-Ho decided to keep mum about something, he'd never divulge any information.

Kang Jin-Ho nodded slowly. “In that case, I'll take it as the operation commencing tomorrow.”

“N-no, hang on. Mister Gyu-Min hasn't found the way yet, Mister Jin-Ho!”

“Don't worry, he will. He's competent in that area, you see.”

“...Huh. Does that mean he's incompetent in other areas?”

“Yes.”

Bang Jin-Ho closed his eyes to offer a prayer of pity.

'Yup, Mister Gyu-Min met the wrong boss...'

Jo Gyu-Min was competent enough to get all the plaudits regardless of who he worked for, but his luck was terrible. He ended up working for Kang Jin-Ho and had to endure such poor treatment!

Bang Jin-Hun suddenly got a feeling that he might also end up in the same boat as Jo Gyu-Min soon. He sobered up and steeled his resolve.

'I'm gonna do my best and avoid being called incompetent...!'

If only Bang Jin-Hun knew why Jo Gyu-Min was evaluated as incompetent! He would've gotten angry for the sake of the poor Chief Secretary of the Jaegyeong Corporation. Unfortunately, he had no way of knowing what had transpired.

“In any case... Let's wrap our meeting here,” said Bang Jin-Hun.

“Sounds good.” Kang Jin-Ho nodded.

“My apologies. I should be the one giving you a ride home, but it seems a mountain of work is waiting for me. Since we're setting out tomorrow, I must speak to the former Assembly Master and start organizing the assault teams.”

“Understood. Don't worry, I can find my way back home.”

“N-no, hang on! I can't let you do that. I'll get a car and driver ready, so can you wait for a couple of minutes?”

“No, thank you. I don't have a hobby of riding in a car driven by someone else.”

“...?”

Eh? What about my car, then?

Did Kang Jin-Ho find riding in a car driven by a stranger uncomfortable but feel settled and relaxed in Bang Jin-Hun's car?

Was Bang Jin-Hun supposed to take this revelation in a good way? Or should he lament his demotion to Kang Jin-Ho's exclusive chauffeur?

Kang Jin-Ho got up to leave. “You don't have to worry, Mister Jin-Hun. I can head home by myself.”

“Well, in that case…” Bang Jin-Hun also got up while smirking suspiciously. “I have something to show you. How about you go home tonight with it?”

“...Sorry?”

***

Bang Jin-Hun proudly muttered, “And this bad boy is what I've been talking about.”

“Ohh?” Kang Jin-Ho's eyes opened wide at the sight of a Harley Davidson gleaming under the light of the garage. “A motorcycle?”

“Hah, who says 'motorcycle' in this day and age! It's a bike, Mister Jin-Ho. A bike!”

“Mm? Aren't they the same thing?”

“Using the correct terminology is the basic of all basics, Mister Jin-Ho.” [1]

“Both are English terms, though?” Kang Jin-Ho slightly narrowed his eyes.

“...Cough. Let's just agree to call it a bike, shall we?”

“Sure thing.” Kang Jin-Ho cocked an eyebrow and stared weirdly at Bang Jin-Hun, forcing the latter to sneakily turn his head away.

“Ahem. This bike will probably suit your style more than a car, Mister Jin-Ho. Since it's an off-road model, it won't be that fast, but it should still feel swifter than most cars. I'm sure you'll fall in love with its charms once you start riding it.”

“You think so?”

“Well, you like riding your bicycle, don't you?”

“I do.”

“The reason why you insist on riding a bicycle when it can't even hit forty kilometers an hour is to feel the wind on your face, am I right? And that's something you won't get to experience while driving a car.”

“Mm...“ Kang Jin-Ho contemplatively nodded.

Bang Jin-Hun was right. Even a convertible still wouldn't let the wind rush into the cabin. The sensation of driving top-down would be starkly different from riding a bicycle and feeling the rush of powerful winds with his entire body.

In the past, Kang Jin-Ho preferred bicycles over motorcycles as he was not so keen on an engine powering him forward, not his own legs. However, driving around in cars became the norm for his method of travel lately, and Kang Jin-Ho no longer felt the same way about motorcycles.

'In that case, should I have a go?'

Bang Jin-Hun grinned. “Have you ridden a bike before?”

“No, never.”

“The principle is the same as a car. You crank this, and the bike accelerates. And you brake by squeezing these ones.”

Kang Jin-Ho nodded and listened to Bang Jin-Hun's quick run-down of the controls, then climbed on the bike's saddle. He was immediately greeted by a weighty sensation. It felt completely different from sitting in a car.

Bang Jin-Hun continued to speak. “Usually, I discourage anyone wanting to ride a bike. This is inherently less safe than in a car, you see. Even if you're a martial arts expert, crashing at 100kph will still wreck you real bad. Either your back folds in half, and you end up as a cripple or... Poof, your head is gone.”

“...”

“However, I have full confidence you can deal with any situation, Mister Jin-Ho. That's why I'm letting you borrow this bad boy. If my son wanted to get a bike, I'd have personally snapped his ankles in half.”

“Mister Jin-Hun, you don't have a son.”

“...And that's why I haven't sold this bike yet.”

“Mm? I think you still won't have any in the future, though?”

“That's not true!” Bang Jin-Hun shuddered grandly at that unexpected low blow.

As the reward of sacrificing his youth to fix the Martial Assembly, Bang Jin-Hun was stuck with the label of 'lifelong bachelor'. Of course, he was trying his hardest to escape that label, but his rough countenance meant finding a date was... still a challenge.

Bang Jin-Hun had been suffering in silence from the anxiety of spending the rest of his life alone, and here came Kang Jin-Ho, mercilessly driving that icy dagger where it hurt the most. Unsurprisingly, Bang Jin-Hun's irritation level shot up instantly.

'What would a handsome guy like you know about things like this!'

A dude who looked godly enough to get any woman he wanted would never know about the sadness in Bang Jin-Hun's heart! This was why Bang Jin-Hun tried to drive around in fancy cars and wear nice watches, but...!

Unfortunately, Bang Jin-Hun resembled a member of an organized crime syndicate while getting out of his fancy car. It felt like women were avoiding him even more precisely because of this.

“...Hurry and get going, Mister Jin-Ho,” Bang Jin-Hun muttered weakly. He thought the best way to avoid feeling down was to get this guy out of his hair as soon as possible.

The Harley Davidson's engine roared into life before the sleek machine with Kang Jin-Ho on its saddle smoothly glided out of the garage.

'Huh. He's pretty good.'

As expected, Kang Jin-Ho's athletic and learning abilities were out of this world. In only a few breaths, Kang Jin-Ho expertly circled around the Assembly's athletics field like a rider with several years of experience in the saddle. He stopped before Bang Jin-Hun and accepted the helmet from the big man.

“Thank you, Mister Jin-Hun. I'll have it returned to you when I'm done.”

“No problem. However, don't scratch it, please. This bad boy means a lot to me, you see?”

“It'd be nicer if it was a real boy, though.”

“Just leave! Go! Leave me alone!”

Kang Jin-Ho chuckled, then bowed his head to bid goodbye. Soon, his figure disappeared through the Assembly's front gate. Bang Jin-Hun sighed deeply while observing the distant back of Kang Jin-Ho.

'Mister Jin-Ho's malicious hunger seems to have gone down, which is a good thing, but...'

Bang Jin-Hun couldn't be sure. Had Kang Jin-Ho's hunger for blood really abated? Or was it silently filling him up even now?

“...Well, I should just focus on my job.”

Bang Jin-Hun yawned and stretched his limbs grandly before turning around to head back inside the Assembly building. He was thinking of speaking to Lee Jung-Geol first, but then, he began tilting his head. “Wait a minute. Can... someone ride that bike with a regular driver's license?”

Bang Jin-Hun glanced back out of anxiety, but Kang Jin-Ho was long gone by then.

Later that night...

Kang Jin-Ho got stopped by a traffic officer on his way home and was slapped with a hefty fine for driving without a proper license. The first thing he did after coming home was pick his phone up and nag the living hell out of the poor Bang Jin-Hun.

Bang Jin-Hun could only shed tears at this unfair treatment, but... What could he do about it, anyway? After all, he brought it upon himself.

Find the original at bit.ly/3iBfjkV.

1. Kang Jin-Ho said “Auto-bai”, a Korean word for motorcycles, which is derived from the Japanese pronunciation of 'motorbike'. Hence this confusing attempt from me to make the joke work... ☜