Ilsung Apparel headquarters.
Deputy Director Jeon Gwang-il and Jeong Dong-hun sat alone in the office, talking.
He had heard the whole story.
How Jeong Dong-hun had learned Player Bong Juhyeok's name, and where the documents had come from.
"I-I truly had no intention of doing anything. I was planning to destroy the documents. I was wronged. This is a trap."
Jeon Gwang-il looked at Ilsung Apparel's CEO Jeong Dong-hun with indifferent eyes.
This wasn't something he had orchestrated.
If it were, he wouldn't have made mistakes during the phone call, nor would he be sitting here now, legs trembling with anxious eyes.
It seemed certain that the documents had come from Chairman Jeong Seong-tae.
But—
Where did these documents come from in the first place?
The United States? Japan? Or China?
At this point, the source of the documents wasn't what mattered.
The real problem was that Player Bong Juhyeok's name was circulating even within private companies.
In any case, Chairman Jeong Seong-tae—
The more Jeon thought about him, the more irritating he became.
That old raccoon.
It was such an obvious ploy.
He'd shove the uncomfortable task onto his nephew, then watch how things unfolded.
Once he judged the information to be reliable, he'd quietly move the political sphere and slip his foot in.
"Did you record anything when you received the documents?"
"N-no."
"Then there's no proof that these documents came from Chairman Jeong Seong-tae."
"Y-yes. A-am I being arrested?"
"Of course not. Relax. There's no reason for that."
At any rate, he now understood the situation.
"Actually, the reason I called you initially was to make a business proposal."
"Ah…"
"If you don't mind, would you like to hear the rest of the proposal you didn't get to hear earlier?"
Jeong Dong-hun hesitated for a moment, then spoke.
"Well, I'm not sure I'll even be able to stay on as CEO. I only hold ten percent of the shares, and my uncle will probably use this incident as an excuse to strip me of management rights and push me out."
"Hm."
"To be honest, I'm not that attached to the CEO position anyway. I was thinking of letting everything go and taking a long rest…"
Jeon Gwang-il nodded.
The more he looked at him, the more he liked him.
As a business partner, that is.
No greed, seems good-natured, and easy to control.
Of course, Jeong Dong-hun could change later, but for now, he was far more trustworthy than Goyeon Ha.
Ilsung Apparel was an unlisted company.
Most of the shares were probably held by Chairman Jeong Seong-tae.
If the company were spun off and its shares handed over to Player Bong?
That would resolve much of the leather issue.
"The business proposal concerns the supply of wyvern leather."
Jeong Dong-hun flinched in surprise.
Wyvern? Wyvern leather?
"We're planning to supply wyvern leather to the private sector. What do you think, CEO Jeong?"
"Uh—w-well…"
Wyvern leather.
Above all, its greatest advantage was its durability.
It didn't even compare to basilisk leather.
Beautiful, vivid patterns and excellent self-regeneration properties.
It could be used not only for leather goods like bags, but across a wide range of applications—
Furniture such as chairs and sofas, automotive interior and exterior materials, and of course, top-grade material for player armor.
But Jeong Dong-hun couldn't accept the offer.
He had already given up on the company.
"If a new CEO comes in instead of me, perhaps you could make the proposal again…"
"No. I need you, CEO Jeong. If you refuse, I'll go to Daehyeon instead."
"Hmm…"
"How about continuing to run the company instead of stepping down?"
"T-that's not really up to me…"
"Become independent from Ilsung."
"…What? I—I don't understand."
He couldn't help but be flustered.
Deputy Director Jeon Gwang-il wasn't an ordinary bureaucrat.
He was one of the real powers of the Agency.
This wasn't something he was saying lightly.
"Leaving aside whether independence is even possible, I'm not sure I'd be able to handle it…"
"You'll do fine. I'll help you."
"…"
Jeong Dong-hun pondered.
If he could receive a supply of wyvern leather, the company wouldn't fail even if he ran it with his feet.
"Then let's decide that you'll remain as CEO for now, and I'll contact you later to discuss the details."
"Uh—y-yes."
Jeong Dong-hun nodded absentmindedly.
Deputy Director Jeon Gwang-il truly lived up to the rumors.
His decisiveness, at least, was unquestionable.
I thought I was going to be dragged away for sure.
To suddenly be handed an opportunity like this—
It felt as though he'd been possessed.
After finishing his meeting with Jeong Dong-hun, Jeon Gwang-il returned to the Awakened Management Agency.
He went straight to the Commissioner's office and reported everything that had happened today to Commissioner Park Gyeong-su.
"…That's the situation. Going head-to-head myself would be difficult due to the difference in weight class."
"Tsk. That old man Jeong Seong-tae—he's not even due yet, and he's already going senile."
Park Gyeong-su's expression was extremely displeased.
"People sometimes misunderstand. As their power grows, they think they're allowed to cross certain lines. Without realizing that the moment they cross it, it's the end."
Commissioner Park made several phone calls to somewhere, then said to Jeon Gwang-il,
"Hand me the documents."
"Here they are."
"I'll handle this matter. You go and focus on something else."
"There's one more thing I'd like to ask."
"Hm? Go ahead."
Jeon Gwang-il explained his plan in a calm voice, and Commissioner Park listened while nodding.
The Cheongdam-dong penthouse.
How much time had passed? Juhyeok suddenly opened his eyes.
"…Huh?"
When did I fall asleep?
Where am I?
The living room.
They said sleeping in the cold could make your mouth crooked. Still, he must have slept well—his body felt light.
The Mad Demon has left.
Mad Demon sir.
From now on, he had to add sir when addressing him.
He couldn't just casually say Mad Demon, Mad Demon.
There were basic human courtesies, after all.
But what is this smell?
Did someone take a dump in here?
"…Huh."
There was no one else in the penthouse but him.
Is this because of the marrow cleansing?
He'd heard about it.
That his skin would peel and bodily impurities would be expelled, producing a truly foul odor.
After learning the inner energy method and Blood Jade Gangqi operation from the Mad Demon, the final step had been the marrow cleansing.
Something about opening the Conception and Governing Vessels and breaking through the Gate of Life and Death to perform the Grand Circulation—but drowsiness had overtaken him, and he'd fallen asleep.
Ah, the ever-giving Mad Demon sir.
So generous that Juhyeok almost regretted how poorly he'd treated him before.
He opened the catalog, selected the Mad Demon, and gave him a five-star rating.
[The Mad Demon's satisfaction rating has been set to 5 stars.]
Still, he had to deal with the smell.
The clothes he'd been wearing went straight into the trash. He wiped down the living room floor with a mop, then turned on the air purifier.
Wheeeeeeeeeng!!!
A red light lit up—Air quality critical—and it began running frantically.
Sorry, air-purifier laborer.
Juhyeok headed into the shower and washed himself clean.
He changed into fresh clothes and stepped back out.
Phew.
Feels like I can finally breathe again.
Most of the smell is gone too.
Then shall I review what I learned yesterday?
Starting with the breathing method of the Heaven-and-Earth One-Origin Art.
Once shallow, once deep.
"Phew… phewwww… phew… phewwww…"
Still couldn't feel it.
When Mad Demon sir's hand was on my back, it worked just fine.
Is it because I'm doing it alone?
Even so, I kept breathing.
Just then—
"Oh!"
A faint sensation in my lower abdomen. It moved.
In sync with my breathing, a small mass traveled through the blood vessels all over my body.
It was definitely different from magic power.
Heavier. Stickier.
Blood Jade Gangqi…
Sss—
A faint red energy circulated at my fingertips.
Compared to the Blood Jade Gangqi I used inside the Tower, it was barely there.
But I wasn't disappointed.
You can't fill your stomach with the first spoonful.
For just one day of breathing exercises, this was incredible progress.
Anyway, I've done my review.
Should I summon the others? Let's check the catalog first.
[Catalog]: John Kosak / Barbarian Meat Shield / Gyeondallae / Rajiks / Mad Demon / Veronica Caliber / Lucius Bardin.
Seven total.
No—more precisely, six plus one holy sword.
Let's start with the core members.
Spot! Kosak appeared.
"Thank you for summoning me. To the right hand of Summoner Bong—huh?"
He sniffed loudly.
"Did you fart, by any chance?"
"…No."
"C'mon, feels like you did. Your bowel activity must be excellent. This Kosak is deeply moved."
"I said I didn't!"
"Yes, sir!"
He rolled his eyes as well as his nose.
"Hm. You seem kinda different. Your skin looks clean."
"My skin was always good."
"…But you definitely look healthier."
I summoned Gyeondallae too, and she seemed to catch the smell.
"Sir Kosak, how can you fart so recklessly!"
"It wasn't me."
"Then are you saying Young Master passed gas? How could you harbor such impure thoughts!"
Gobang too—
"A warrior… hmm, assassin, I smell bad breath."
"You little—! It's not me!"
"Then it must have been the princess."
"Y-you bastard!!!"
Rajiks's reaction was on another level.
"Hoek?"
After checking the smell—
Swish!
He pulled out a golden mop from his subspace bag.
"Hooooeeeee!"
And started mopping the living room floor like a madman.
Especially the spot where I'd been lying down asleep.
Then he went to the bathroom, rinsed the mop, and—
Swish, scrub!
Even the trash can didn't escape Rajiks's attention.
Rumble—
He stuffed the clothes I'd thrown away into a pay-per-bag trash bag and sealed it tightly.
Rumble—
Placed it outside by the elevator in front of the entrance.
Rumble—
Then mopped the living room floor again.
"Hooeh!"
Done.
Now there was no smell at all.
"Awesome! Smells great!"
"Excellent work, top-tier laborer. You've cleaned up the poop Kosak left."
"I told you how many times it wasn't me!"
I just stayed silent.
There was no need to say it was me.
"Alright, alright. Let's take a look at the promoted one."
How much had she changed?
"Veronica Caliber, designated summon."
Fwaaah!
Spot!
At last, she appeared.
"Kuul… snore… grrr… smack smack…"
Lying sprawled out on the living room floor—
"Huh?"
"Hm."
"Wow."
"Mm."
"Hoeng?"
Before, she'd appeared half-asleep.
"Looks like she was dragged out after sleeping somewhere."
Kosak crept over and poked her side with his finger.
Poke, poke.
Instantly—
"Hiiik! Sergeant—n-no, Staff Sergeant Veronica Caliber!"
She sprang up, scanned her surroundings, then saw me—
"Fi–eld! Vic–tory! Present arms toward the commander!"
Snap!
A perfect salute.
"Congratulations on your promotion."
"Hoeh!"
"Truly the presence of a one-woman army."
"Looking forward to working with you."
"Applause!"
Promoted Veronica.
What looked different?
Her power came from her equipment.
First—the gun had changed.
The body was larger, and the barrel was longer.
Then the reinforced suit.
Still tightly form-fitting, but—
…Doesn't it look thinner somehow?
Shouldn't an upgrade make it thicker?
She was also wearing goggles on her face.
And knee-high long boots.
Name: Veronica Caliber
Rank: SSR (Special Super Rare)
Type: Magi-Gunner (Human)
Manifestation Duration: 7 hours
Satisfaction Rating: None
Resummon Cooldown: 3 hours (applies after dismissal)
Rank SSR, and even the catalog descriptor said special-duty staff sergeant.
As for why the descriptor glamorous was attached, he had no idea.
"Then now…
What should we do?"
A commemorative Tower climb for her promotion? A celebration party? But—
"Kuul… snore… snnnrr…"
Veronica fell asleep standing up. She really slept well. Very well.
"Should I wake Staff Sergeant Veronica?"
"Leave her. Let her sleep."
Once she wakes up, they'd head to clear Floor 66.
After that, they wouldn't be able to attempt further uncleared upper floors for a while.
Well, they could always just go farm leather and ore.
A private room in a high-end Korean restaurant in Gangnam, Seoul.
Chairman Jeong Seong-tae of the Ilsung Group had arrived early and was waiting for someone.
The person he was scheduled to meet today was Commissioner Park Gyeong-su of the Awakened Management Agency.
The Agency had contacted him first.
When a heavyweight personally requests a meeting, you make time—even if you don't have any.
So why had Commissioner Park asked to meet him?
He could guess.
Looks like that brat Dong-hun tried to approach Player Bong Juhyeok and got caught.
Most likely, this was about how to handle Jeong Dong-hun.
Whether punishment or something else, they'd have to discuss it with him first.
He'd already thought through how to respond.
A sincere apology, and appropriate countermeasures.
He would take full responsibility.
He would remove his nephew Jeong Dong-hun from the CEO position and have him accept legal punishment without complaint.
Then they'd move on to a deeper discussion.
After basilisk leather had been monopolistically supplied to HG, sales must have dropped, cornering his nephew.
Isn't it unfair to funnel everything to a single company?
It doesn't look good either, so why not supply it elsewhere as well?
And he'd appreciate being given a chance to apologize directly to Player Bong Juhyeok too.
His ulterior motives would be obvious—but so what?
He was Jeong Seong-tae.
The chairman of the Ilsung Group, one of the titans dominating Korea's business world.
Knock knock.
The private room door opened with a knock.
"Oh my, sorry I'm late. Have you been waiting long?"
Commissioner Park Gyeong-su entered.
Chairman Jeong responded with a relaxed smile.
"Hahaha, not at all. I'm just a bored old man. I should be grateful you even called for me, Commissioner."
"The feeling's mutual."
But as soon as he sat down, Park rummaged through his bag.
"I picked this up on the way here. It seemed like it belonged to you, Chairman."
Thud!
He placed a single folder on the table.
It was familiar.
The one he had handed to his nephew, Jeong Dong-hun.
The atmosphere instantly turned icy.
What was he trying to pull?
Jeong Seong-tae didn't even touch the documents.
His expression made it clear he was displeased.
"You're saying that's mine?"
"Isn't it?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Let's start by honestly discussing where these documents came from."
"What exactly… are you interrogating me right now? So abruptly—"
Park Gyeong-su snorted.
"Fuck, you really do have a long tongue."
Did he hear that right? That sounded like a curse.
"W-what?"
"Did you think we were that stupid? You thought we wouldn't notice if you used your nephew as a proxy?"
"…Commissioner Park, do you realize you're crossing a line right now?"
"You crossed the line first—why the hell shouldn't I? You bastard!"
"D-do you even know who I am…? Have you gone senile?"
"You're the one who's senile. People kept bowing to you, so you forgot what fear is, huh? A mere chaebol chairman dares to dig into an elite player's background?"
"Uh—n-no, th-that's not—"
This was a situation Chairman Jeong Seong-tae had never imagined.
His mind went completely blank.
He had no idea how to respond.
Of course not.
Where would he ever have experienced something like this?
The relaxed expression he'd worn at the start was nowhere to be found.
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