Chapter 69: Welcome Party (1)
“I think I can hear curses in my ears.”
As Hyeon-yul placed his hand on Yu-jong’s shoulder, he trembled greatly.
‘This bastard…, no, this guy, can he read minds too?’
Yu-jong spoke without lifting his head.
“…How could that be?”
“It’s alright. Isn’t thinking curses inwardly freedom? Just don’t point a blade at me. I’m not particularly merciful.”
“Um…, the, the information is ready.”
“Is it ready?”
As Hyeon-yul applied pressure to his hand, Yu-jong’s eyes darted left and right.
He strangely felt as if his neck was being gripped.
“O-Of course. I didn't know when you'd come, so I prepared it.”
Yu-jong hastily ran to the desk and held out the materials.
He subtly raised his head, met Hyeon-yul’s eyes, and quickly lowered it again.
That crazy bastard was smiling.
‘Why the hell is he smiling?’
It felt like his heart was dropping.
Yu-jong steadied his rapidly beating heart.
“The contracts of the celebrities held against their will have been terminated.”
“I did as instructed.”
Yu-jong replied, pointlessly swallowing dryly.
“It will take longer for the Black Eagles to divert their attention, so keep a low profile.”
“…Still?”
“Yes. Not yet.”
“Those bastards need to change their name first. What Eagles, they’re black ticks. They’ve shaken down enough, what more are they shaking down?”
“If you feel so wronged, why didn’t you try shaking down their insides with the Black Eagle information you obtained?”
Yu-jong had planted an informant inside the Black Eagle.
The moment this fact was discovered, he even sent an assassin to cut ties.
Even if it was just to sell information as an information broker, hadn't he infiltrated quite deeply?
Why didn't he think of that?
“Crazy……. No, I mean, that’s not allowed.”
Yu-jong stopped talking and quickly covered his mouth.
“Why not? If you even planted an informant, shouldn’t you at least consider shaking down the Black Eagle?”
“You seem to not know the Black Eagles well, those guys are really not to be underestimated. Rather, they’re truly vicious. It took pouring money and people just to barely create an informant. I reached one Team Leader level contact, but maybe it was a declaration of conscience, there was a limit to the information I could dig up, and the moment they found out I was involved, I would just die.”
Yu-jong swallowed dryly for a moment, then continued speaking.
Fear showed through.
“The reason Black Eagles might seem like nothing special is because they have a structure that makes focused fire impossible. They scatter to stop incidents breaking out everywhere, don’t they? But this is a different matter, if it all poured down on just me……. Ha.”
Yu-jong couldn’t finish his sentence.
He looked genuinely terrified.
“Didn’t you do it with that resolve in the first place?”
“I never, ever, intended to fight! I’m an information broker, not a fighter, in the first place. The Taisen Empire is behind those guys. No, before that, the nobles will move first.”
“Why would the nobles move?”
At Hyeon-yul’s question, Yu-jong looked at him with surprised eyes.
He doesn't know this?
He was looking at me like that.
“Lower your eyes and explain.”
At Hyeon-yul’s words, Yu-jong immediately lowered his head.
“…I don’t know who, but they say someone among the Black Eagles is a noble. On our side too, we absolutely don’t touch nobles. Do you know how vicious those bastards are? They pretend to be all noble and shit, but those bastards are the truly crazy ones.”
Yu-jong seethed.
‘There’s a noble among the Black Eagles?’
Hyeon-yul thought for a moment, then recalled someone.
But he quickly dismissed the thought.
I still didn’t know all the Black Eagles.
Hasty thoughts were forbidden.
“Anyway… I’m still chasing the guy who intercepted my information. Seeing how he hasn’t been caught yet, he seems like quite a big shot.”
“Keep chasing. I’ll give you one piece of information as a reward.”
“Yes…?”
“Isn’t something interesting happening these days?”
“Interesting… I don’t know, but it’s quite noisy. As you know, after the Poison King was caught, fights broke out, right? But looking at the way things are flowing, it’s strange.”
“How is it strange?”
“……The Poison King’s faction is winning. They should have become a disorganized mob since the Poison King disappeared.”
Yu-jong wore an expression as if he couldn't understand it at all.
All villains existed only because there was a leader.
When the leader died, they usually left to find the next potential leader.
Sure enough.
Someone appeared.
“I heard, there’s a rabbit……”
“I took that over.”
Hyeon-yul pointed at himself and smiled.
“……Yes?”
“I took it over. Wearing a rabbit mask.”
“……”
Yu-jong was so surprised he moved back.
This wasn't something one could say lightly, even as a joke.
How could someone take over such a large faction?
I couldn't understand in the slightest what had happened.
It wasn't just any faction, it was the Poison King's faction.
To think those guys were following that mad dog.
The corners of Yu-jong’s mouth trembled.
I didn't know who on earth I had been dealing with.
“And there’s someone behind the Poison King. Find out who.”
“……?”
Yu-jong’s eyes widened.
Someone behind the Poison King.
What kind of bullshit was this?
“Lastly, this.”
Hyeon-yul casually handed over one of the drugs he had brought.
“Find out where it’s being distributed from, or where it’s being made.”
Yu-jong couldn't keep up with Hyeon-yul’s pace.
He was already frozen from the beginning, from the part about taking over the faction.
“It’s a drug that turns non-Awakened into Awakened.”
Yu-jong’s mouth fell open.
I didn't know what he kept throwing at me.
“For reference, the side effects are severe, so taking it means death. Therefore, anyone using it, making it, or trying to receive it will die.”
Hyeon-yul spoke quietly, then opened the window.
“Ah.”
Yu-jong tensed, thinking something else was about to come out.
“Looking last time, your tax delinquency was substantial. Pay it. I pay taxes too.”
Hyeon-yul uttered the words and jumped straight out the window.
‘……Huh?’
Yu-jong stood still as if hit on the head.
I didn't know what I had just heard.
‘Did I hear wrong?’
Taxes.
Ha.
A scoff escaped Yu-jong.
That mad dog pays taxes.
Ha!
The scoffing wouldn’t stop.
The man looked back and forth between the tablet and the computer.
He reviewed the regained faction, businesses, and various other things.
After He arrived, everything went smoothly.
Rabbit Mask.
I had no choice but to call him that because I didn't know his name, but I couldn't bring myself to utter those words.
What mattered was that he was the one who saved us, who were just awaiting ruin.
He was different from those executive bastards who only greedily eyed the Poison King's vacant seat.
Those bastards were fools who relied on the Poison King's name, neither advancing nor staying put, just trying to settle comfortably.
But none of that had anything to do with me.
I was already kicked out of the executive position, and since then, I had just been passing time as if not truly living; what could I say?
A day like any other.
Something happened that filled the gaping hole in my chest.
The executives died.
Something unbelievable happened.
The moment I saw His strength, I felt my dead heart start beating again.
‘What does He want.’
Tap tap.
‘How far does He aspire.’
Taptaptap.
The fingers moving over the keyboard grew faster and faster.
‘What did He see in me.’
The corners of the man’s lips lifted fully.
I wanted to see him.
I wanted to exchange many words again.
I felt like I had finally found a reason to live.
「What's your name?」
The moment he saw the phone that suddenly popped in, the man immediately extended his hand.
At the end of the sharply formed wind stood a man wearing a rabbit mask.
「It's me.」
The moment he saw the characters written on the phone, the man immediately prostrated himself, lowering his head.
“……I have committed a crime worthy of death!”
Tap, tap.
Hyeon-yul nudged the guy with his foot, then held out his phone.
Even if he had attacked me, it wasn't to the extent that I couldn't dodge.
「Enough.」
「What’s your name?」
Hyeon-yul was curious about that.
Figurehead CEO.
I couldn't call him that, could I?
“Are, are you asking for my name?”
「Don’t have a name?」
“No. I am Lee Seung-yoo! You can call me by any name. From now on, that will be my name.”
「You’re doing well.」
Seung-yoo stared blankly at the message that appeared on the phone.
‘……Doing well? Me?’
Seung-yoo felt his heart pound at those words.
「Keep doing that from now on. If any strange news reaches me, you die.」
“…O-Of course!”
Seung-yoo said, holding his breath.
A hot sensation rose in his chest.
It was a sensation felt for the first time.
It felt like I could do anything right now.
「Surprised I came suddenly?」
“Not at all. Not at all. Rather, I was just waiting for you to come!”
「Yeah?」
Hyeon-yul brushed it off nonchalantly.
I expected that level of flattery.
“The internal cleaning was done neatly. It was the first task completed. From now on, the Poison King will not be mentioned.”
「Why?」
「Weren’t you following the Poison King?」
Hyeon-yul asked, finding it unexpected.
Although I had killed all the executives, I hadn't told them to erase the Poison King.
I hadn't even thought they would erase the Poison King in the first place, yet they erased him like this.
As expected, they didn’t disappoint expectations.
They were parasites feeding off the leader's power.
“Yes. I followed the Poison King.”
The man rolled up his sleeve.
Whether the skin had melted, hideous scars were fully visible from above the wrist.
“As an executive, I was loyal to the Poison King, but what returned was death. I have already died once.”
「Why bother coming back?」
Hyeon-yul genuinely didn’t understand.
How was it different from me staying at Shin Dae-ho’s company after killing him?
“…I don’t know. They said it was miraculous that I survived despite being poisoned, and I was allowed back in. From then on, I was wandering aimlessly. Not knowing what I should do, what I was doing right now, I just lived.”
‘Is this lamenting? Why now?’
Hyeon-yul found it hard to understand.
I had led teams before, so it wasn't that I hadn't experienced such things, but I was different then and now.
Was the position of figurehead CEO really that good?
Hyeon-yul, for now, uttered the best words he had acquired.
「You worked hard.」
They were simple words, but the effect was good.
I didn't know why people liked this.
Would that guy too?
Hyeon-yul looked at Seung-yoo.
‘He likes it too.’
However, it was a type I hadn't seen before, so I was confused about how best to judge it.
“I will follow whatever you wish. You can do whatever you want. Even if you order me to quit everything related to the business right now, I will follow.”
「Yeah?」
“Yes. So, please, do not abandon me.”
Seung-yoo pleaded desperately.
He wanted to convey this sincerity by offering up his own heart right now.
「Alright.」
Hyeon-yul readily answered.
Whether he appealed with emotion, or cut off his finger demanding immediate trust, none of it mattered.
After all, Seung-yoo and the others were just villains.
「The reason I came today is none other than, I have something to give.」
“What will you give me?”
「Use this.」
Hyeon-yul handed over the faction information he had received from Yu-jong.
“……This is. Isn’t this faction information?”
Seung-yoo asked, looking surprised.
It wasn't clear exactly who participated yet, how could he have obtained this?
As expected, he was extraordinary.
「Spread it elsewhere too.」
“Yes?”
「Spread it secretly.」
“Understood. I will spread it immediately.”
Seung-yoo reacted as if it were something that naturally had to be done and lowered his head.
「Why don’t you ask?」
「You’re curious, aren’t you.」
「If this is spread, everyone will know each other’s factions?」
“I thought that was your aim. Places that merge will merge, places that struggle will struggle, and countless factions will fight and combine.”
Hyeon-yul gestured as if telling him to continue.
“It’s impossible for us too to monitor all the various factions. But if the factions themselves merge and get erased, reducing the number, monitoring becomes easier.”
「Smart.」
That was exactly the part Hyeon-yul desired.
If the number of factions decreased, only then could monitoring become smoother, allowing many predictions.
Besides, while merging, the factions would grow quite large, so the period of mutual checks would inevitably lengthen.
When the factions became distinct due to the aftermath of these checks, it would become easier for the Black Eagle to snatch them up.
Even if the rest were erased and only this faction remained, it was actually better.
Isn't it obvious who needs to be killed?
「Ah. I should give a reward.」
“A reward…?”
「I’ll tell you an interesting fact.」
Seung-yoo waited quietly.
「Did you know the Poison King was also following someone?」
“……Yes?”
Seung-yoo couldn't hide his surprise.
Even as a former executive, he seemed unaware of this information.
「He called himself the best with his own mouth, but that guy too, in the end, wasn’t the leader.」
「Do you want to follow such a moron?」
“…No. I absolutely cannot follow him.”
Seung-yoo shook his head vigorously.
Beyond betrayal, even a certain resolution could be seen.
“How can that be a leader? He’s just a defeated lackey.”
「Right.」
「I’m going to find that guy.」
「And I’ll have to erase him, right?」
Hyeon-yul looked at Seung-yoo.
Since he was wanting something from me, demanding something, Hyeon-yul willingly obliged.
「If I am to do that, what must you do?」
“You must find him, unconditionally.”
Seung-yoo uttered the words heavily, as if possessed.
“Unconditionally, you must make him reach beneath your feet.”
「That’s how you do it.」
「That’s how you crawl at my words.」
“I will gladly do so.”
Seung-yoo smiled.
Hyeon-yul touched the guy’s shoulder and held out his phone.
「You’re doing well.」
When Seung-yoo lifted his head, no one was there.
Instead, the window was open.
As wind blew in through it, Seung-yoo burst out laughing.
The cold wind brushing against his face felt like his own welcome party.
Because he had found the path he must walk forward.
‘I, will die by that person’s hands in the future.’
Seung-yoo’s laughter grew louder and louder.