Chapter 159
As soon as Jo Jin-hwi arrived at the agreed meeting place and got out of the car, he raised his hand in greeting with a cheerful expression.
“Mr. Ahn!”
The meeting place was a café located on the outskirts of the city.
Suho also greeted Jo Jin-hwi warmly.
“Thank you for coming all this way.”
“Haha, no problem. Thanks to you, I even enjoyed a nice drive outside the city. I’ve been stuck in my office writing articles for so long. But more importantly…”
Jo Jin-hwi had a curious expression on his face.
His excitement was evident.
He was too eager to find out what kind of item Suho intended to show him this time.
Noticing his expression, Suho chuckled and said,
“You really are a true journalist. If you take this on, it’s going to be much harder than the last feature article. Are you still interested?”
“Of course! Just like chefs endure hardship to delight their customers, journalists go through struggles to inform the people. Don’t worry about that—just tell me what you’ve got. So, what’s the scoop this time?”
When Jo Jin-hwi rubbed his hands in anticipation, Suho took out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to him.
At first glance, it looked like an organizational chart, but the peculiar part was that, except for the names and branches sprawling out like a mind map, there was no other information.
However, Jo Jin-hwi immediately sensed its importance.
That was because the names written on the chart were far from ordinary.
“…What is this?”
“It’s a record of people related to a massive gate I’ve been monitoring for a very long time.”
“A massive gate?”
Jo Jin-hwi’s gaze shifted back to the chart at the mention of a "massive gate."
What kind of gate could involve so many people?
The professions of the individuals were also diverse.
There were politicians and public officials, as well as members of law enforcement and employees of major corporations.
There were even individuals from the Korean Hunter Association, which Suho was affiliated with.
Suho then handed him another map.
This one showed specific areas in Seoul and the metropolitan region, marked with colored sections.
But, again, that was all the information it contained.
Jo Jin-hwi didn’t immediately ask what it meant.
Instead, he silently studied the map for a while.
Eventually, with the most serious expression he had ever shown, he asked,
“Mr. Ahn.”
“Yes?”
“I may not be an expert in real estate, but I know a bit about it. These colored areas… are they, by any chance, locations with Save Zone premiums?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
As expected of Jo Jin-hwi.
Being a journalist, he was both knowledgeable and perceptive.
After examining the organizational chart and map again, Jo Jin-hwi placed the two pieces of paper together and said nothing.
Silence fell over Jo Jin-hwi.
But the deep wrinkles on his forehead spoke volumes.
He was imagining things.
If these two were related, and if he, as a journalist, had to cover them, the narrative would undoubtedly lead to something bad.
And he was now contemplating just how bad it could be.
His furrowed brows reflected his grim thoughts.
Writers, after all, often have vivid imaginations.
After a long moment of silence, Jo Jin-hwi finally spoke.
“…If I may hazard a guess.”
He began slowly, raising the two overlapping pieces of paper and narrowing his eyes.
“I’ve never heard of anything like this, so I’m not sure if it’s possible… but these Save Zone premium areas, were they manipulated intentionally?”
A cautious conjecture.
Hearing this, a smile unconsciously crept onto Suho’s lips.
But upon seeing Suho’s smile, Jo Jin-hwi’s expression only grew darker.
“No way… it can’t be, right?”
“Yes, it’s true. The areas I’ve marked are currently considered Save Zone premium locations, meaning gates aren’t expected to reappear there. And the people listed in the chart are those who have gained, to varying degrees, from these zones.”
“You’ve got to be kidding…”
Before Suho could finish speaking, Jo Jin-hwi inadvertently let out a curse.
Then, with widened eyes and trembling hands, he placed the paper back down.
His pupils quivered.
He reached into his pocket, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it as soon as it touched his lips.
*“Ssss… huff…”*
The cigarette acted as a tranquilizer for him.
As the smoke coursed through his lungs, his turbulent emotions and cluttered thoughts calmed slightly.
Exhaling another puff of smoke, Jo Jin-hwi asked Suho,
“But… with just the information you’ve given me, I can only think of a few ways the people involved could profit. So, I have to ask… is it possible to summon gates intentionally?”
Gate summoning.
That was a valid question.
There were indeed items capable of summoning gates.
But that wasn’t the case here.
Such items were not only incredibly rare but also difficult to acquire.
As expected of a journalist—his imagination was boundless.
Suho chuckled and replied,
“Gate summoning isn’t entirely impossible, but it’s not feasible for something like this real estate scheme.”
“Then… could they have deliberately ignored gate shocks?”
“Yes, that’s exactly right.”
“…What?”
“Yes. You just hit the nail on the head.”
Thud.
The cigarette slipped from Jo Jin-hwi’s hand and fell to the ground.
It was just a passing thought, but it turned out to be correct.
Suho spoke calmly.
“Surprisingly, it’s true. At first, even I couldn’t believe it. But the more I investigated, the clearer it became.”
“No way… Are you telling me that people knowingly let gate shocks happen, potentially killing countless individuals, all for a real estate scheme?”
A real estate scheme…
Yes.
That was the normal reaction.
Most people would respond that way and think such actions were absolutely unthinkable.
This was murder.
Not just murder, but a massacre of unimaginable proportions.
And the frequency with which it happened was unthinkable for any modern society.
Suho said,
“At first, I thought the same thing. But when you think about it, murders can happen over something as small as a piece of bread. Anyway, I’ve decided to call this the ‘Redevelopment Gate’ case, and now I’m planning to bring it to light.”
Jo Jin-hwi sat in stunned silence before lighting another cigarette.
As he drew in the smoke, he reviewed the papers Suho had handed him.
“These lunatics…”
Upon learning the truth, he realized just how outrageous Suho’s revelation truly was.
Shifting his gaze, Jo Jin-hwi asked Suho,
“May I ask where you got these materials?”
“I got a lead from internal data at the Korean Hunter Association. It was something I stumbled upon by chance, and at first, I thought it was false. But the more I dug into it, the more chilling it became.”
A plausible explanation.
Suho had no intention of sharing anything about prophecies or similar nonsensical concepts with Jo Jin-hwi.
Instead, he had waited until he could provide credible evidence.
Jo Jin-hwi’s expression grew more serious.
It made sense.
Suho was not only called a “royal” within the Korean Hunter Association but was also an exceptional elite recruit.
If anyone could uncover such information, it would be Suho.
Suho added,
“Anyway, this Redevelopment Gate case will be the subject of our next article. It’ll probably turn the entire country upside down. All because of some unscrupulous individuals who let countless citizens die for mere real estate profits.”
“This will take a lot of preparation… no, it will take an enormous amount of preparation.”
“No, not really. I’ve already gathered most of the necessary data.”
“What? Already?”
“The security was surprisingly lax. Once the reporting starts, it needs to hit like a storm, ensuring no one involved can escape.”
Jo Jin-hwi nodded heavily.
As he reviewed the gate chart once more, he felt a small sense of relief.
“At least I don’t see any names close to me on this list.”
“Indeed. Given the corporate entanglements, I was worried that someone from your family’s Daesan Group might be implicated.”
“Well… even if they were, I wouldn’t have asked you to leave their name out.”
“That’s the journalist I know. With that said, this matter needs to be handled in strict secrecy until it’s suddenly unveiled. If any details leak out…”
“Oh, don’t worry about that. I’ll conduct this independently and reveal it without prior notice. Honestly, given the explosive nature of this story, I doubt anyone could touch me even after it’s published.”
Confident words.
Suho smiled and said,
“I’ll trust you with this, then.”
“Of course. You can count on me. But… can I ask you one question?”
“Of course.”
Jo Jin-hwi hesitated for a moment before asking,
“Are you a victim of this too?”
A victim.
At that, Suho smiled.
“Why do you think so?”
“During our previous interview, you mentioned that
you decided to put an end to gates because you lost your family to a gate shock. That’s why I’m asking.”
“Yes, that’s true. I dreamed of becoming a hunter and joining the Korean Hunter Association because of that. And I am a victim. When I checked the affected areas, I found that I too was a victim of a Redevelopment Gate.”
“Then…”
“But this isn’t personal revenge. I just want to bring this truth to light. Honestly, if it were about revenge, wouldn’t it be faster for me to personally kill the people involved? It’s not like I’m powerless.”
“….”
That made sense.
Suho was far from powerless.
Jo Jin-hwi nodded as he folded the papers and tucked them into his pocket.
“I’ll prepare as meticulously and thoroughly as possible.”
“I’ll send over additional materials as soon as I secure them. This case won’t end with just publicizing the Redevelopment Gate. Once a special prosecutor law is proposed, it’ll be crucial to determine who gets appointed as the special prosecutor. After all, there are quite a few law enforcement figures listed in that chart.”
“Yes, I’ll also gather information on politicians and law enforcement involved.”
“I’m sorry to burden you with something so significant right after finishing your last piece. But no one else came to mind who I could trust with this.”
Jo Jin-hwi chuckled.
“No worries. I’m grateful you trust me with something this important. Oh, and just to reassure you, don’t worry about me selling the materials. You know I’m the wealthy heir of a major corporation, right?”
“Haha, of course. I wasn’t worried at all.”
“Alright, then. I’ll head off now. Looks like I’ll be busy again for a while, so I should go prepare myself.”
With that, Jo Jin-hwi got into his car and drove off.
Watching him leave, Suho nodded to himself.
“I really did pick the right person.”
This conclusion wasn’t based on their conversation alone.
Throughout their discussion, Suho had been using the Ring of Emotions to gauge Jo Jin-hwi’s feelings.
The emotions Jo Jin-hwi felt upon learning about the Redevelopment Gate were pure rage.
‘If a white aura had emerged, it would’ve meant he was just planning to exploit this information for personal gain.’
But during their talk, Jo Jin-hwi had only exuded black—a testament to his genuine anger.
Once again, Suho had confirmed his choice.
‘Now, it’s time for me to start moving.’
With that thought, Suho also got into his car and set off.