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Chapter 44
“Why, what’s not working?”
-I’ve never seen someone talk such crazy nonsense in my life.
Kang Shin-hwa could feel it.
Joo Cheon-ho was still speaking calmly, but his words were distinctly trembling.
Usually, those who put on a heavy front get more flustered when their inner emptiness is exposed.
All this knowledge was revealed later, after Joo Cheon-ho was eventually removed by KSA and during the precise investigation that followed.
The private issues that were later exposed to the world completely overturned his image, which had been represented as a wild man or macho man in public.
“If you really need an antidote, either send Jang Seong-yeong himself directly, or come here yourself. Stop just maintaining weight from behind.”
-Do you think you’ll be safe after turning our Black Cross Squad into an enemy?
“What about you? I have the Yanghwa guild behind me, and there are so many people interested in me. If the Black Cross Squad gets twisted, wouldn’t you first think about collecting the bounty?”
-I’ve never let someone who hurt me or my subordinates live.
“So come. Come. Don’t just flap your mouth, hurry up!”
-I’ll get you…….
“Oh, geez.”
Kang Shin-hwa thought there was no need to continue the call and immediately pressed the end button.
‘As long as I don’t go to the Black Cross Squad’s home ground, I’ll be safe. Because he has many dependents, he won’t be able to come to the White Zone due to personal emotions.’
Kang Shin-hwa was confident.
He had already seen Joo Cheon-ho’s cautious nature in his previous life.
He would carefully calculate the cause and effect of Jang Seong-yeong’s misdeeds.
‘Well, if he comes looking for me, I’ll try a bounty hunt with my life on the line.’
After organizing his thoughts.
“Obb, bubububu.”
Kang Shin-hwa’s eyes met with Park Sang-hyun, who was looking at him with a pitiful gaze, hoping for mercy.
Swoosh!
Kang Shin-hwa grabbed Park Sang-hyun’s hair.
Park Sang-hyun’s condition was already completely stretched out, almost about to collapse from shock.
“Don’t come looking for me next time. Got it?”
“Yes! Yes yes! I understand!”
Park Sang-hyun repeatedly nodded at Kang Shin-hwa’s line that seemed to be sparing him, and let out a sigh of relief.
But.
Boom!
In a split second, Kang Shin-hwa’s hot fist, which came down from the top of his head, completely smashed Park Sang-hyun’s skull.
Kang Shin-hwa’s right hand, transformed into a steel fragment, completely crushed Park Sang-hyun’s head.
“Keurk…”
“Oh, I missed one word. In your next ‘life’, if you want revenge, try regression like me.”
“Kuuk.”
And so his life was cut off.
The quite substantial advance payment!
His plan, as always, was to quickly kill the client and comfortably collect the remaining balance, but it completely went awry.
It was Park Sang-hyun’s ‘lucky day’.
* * *
I immediately made an emergency call to KSA.
Just by looking at the CCTV or the scene, it’s clear who the intruder is and who the victim is.
Except that, contrary to common sense.
The victim didn’t die, but instead, the perpetrator died during the victim’s legitimate self-defense.
Certainly, because Junghwa Station is a White Zone, KSA agents arrived within 5 minutes of the report.
I wondered if Yun Byeol-i or Na Mi-na would come, but they didn’t.
After all, they’re closer to combat agents than maintaining public order.
They’re probably attacking a KSA-owned dungeon or stabilizing a dungeon with a risk of outbreak.
That’s the main role of the Seoul branch and its affiliated teams.
Anyway, the cleanup was quick.
Through the explanation of circumstances, my legitimate self-defense was immediately verified, and the intruder’s invasion route was completely identified.
However, to collect definitive evidence, I requested to delay internal cleanup a bit, and they agreed to do so.
It’s natural to cooperate to this extent with our agents who work day and night to maintain the peace in the Korean Awakened World!
Instead, I asked them to clean up thoroughly after the investigation.
Regardless of legitimate self-defense or whatever, it’s not pleasant to have someone else’s traces lingering in my home for too long.
* * *
I spent the dawn hours investigating and cleaning up in a chaotic manner.
As soon as morning came, I met with a real estate agent responsible for land acquisition and contract management in the Jije Station area.
Although I had already made up my mind about the fraud, the agent seemed worried that I might change my mind and enthusiastically laid out unrealistic rosy prospects.
Aren’t we all just trying to make a living? I just pushed and pulled appropriately with the agent’s words.
Then, the unit price suggested by each land owner fell like autumn leaves.
Everyone had been struggling to sell, so when a big shot appeared, they seemed eager to sell somehow.
After March 1st, 2020, everyone would be beating their chests in regret, but that too is fate.
I promised the real estate agent to pay a generous commission proportional to how much he could reduce the land price, and then ended our meeting.
With sufficient cash as ammunition, I thought I could just stamp the contracts when the time came.
As I finished the land acquisition work and was returning home.
I received a call from Jin Bo-mi.
It seemed the response to the dungeon license request I made yesterday had arrived.
“Bo-mi, I’ve received the call.”
-Kang Shin-hwa! Are you okay? I just heard the news. There was an intruder who was targeting your life?
News travels fast.
I didn’t tell her directly, so it seems someone among the agents who responded to the scene had connections.
Considering the Yanghwa Guild’s excellent information gathering and network, it wasn’t surprising at all.
“There was a small disturbance. It’s nothing. I’m perfectly fine.”
-That penthouse is too modest even for your standards! You definitely need a secure safe house.
“That’s right. That’s why I’m planning to acquire a few more houses. Of course, if I become a multi-property owner, I’ll have to pay a lot of taxes.”
-Stop worrying about others and take care of your own safety! You can’t imagine how my heart sank when I heard the news.
“Huh?”
I haven’t really worried about others, so was it a misunderstanding or a mistake?
I could feel from her tone and emotions that she was very interested in my every move.
Anyway, I needed houses to rotate.
Even in my previous life, I did something similar for similar reasons, and it seems I’ll become a multi-property owner faster than expected in this life.
“You called about the dungeon license for Cheorwon?”
I naturally changed the topic.
-Oh, yes! Kang Shin-hwa, you’re really okay, right?
“I’m fine. If I weren’t fine, I’d be lying in a hospital room making this call. Or unable to call at all.”
-KSA has given conditional approval. It seems strange since our guild never usually cared about this dungeon.
Her opening didn’t seem like a clear passage was established. The start would have been different if it were.
“If it’s conditional approval, what are the conditions?”
-They said a match with a designated KSA agent is necessary. They want to check if you’re capable of receiving special dungeon clearance.
‘Is KSA monitoring the Yanghwa Guild? Or are they deliberately probing, thinking I might have applied?’
I don’t know whose idea it is within KSA, but I felt they had laid the groundwork quite carefully.
It’s easy to verify the qualifications of a license applicant without even having a match.
I was going to turn around and leave, but it seems going straight forward would be faster.
“Then I’ll apply directly. According to KSA, verification of the applicant is needed, right?”
-That’s right.
“Well, we’ll go through official channels.”
-You wanted an alias…
“No. I was trying to avoid unnecessary complications, and now it seems going by the book will be faster.”
I concluded briefly.
KSA had created a good excuse.
That’s how they want to measure my abilities, and truthfully, I was curious about it too.
I hadn’t yet assessed my skills in a direct confrontation with an awakened individual.
The Park Sang-hyun I took down last night was a counterattack to a surprise attack, so it wasn’t a pure strength-to-strength battle.
-I’m sorry. I should have handled it more discreetly.
“No. Rather, I seem to have caused unnecessary trouble for Bo-mi. Just convey this to KSA. Tell them when and where I should go.”
-Yes, I understand.
I ended the call that way.
Jin Bo-mi seemed to continue looking apologetic, but I was fine.
She is not an all-purpose problem solver.
Moreover, KSA is not stupid.
If KSA is interested in me, it would be better to connect and settle things decisively this time.
‘I don’t want to hide my power.’
In his previous life, Nicholas used to hide his strength.
He even nicknamed himself ‘Hidden Power’ so innocently.
But I am different from him.
Power itself has tremendous influence and restraining power.
The value of power becomes money, becomes a key to solving complex processes, and becomes a reason for goodwill. There was absolutely no reason to hide it.
‘If anyone wants to be my rival, of course they’re welcome. Consistent motivation is always good.’
Right at that moment.
Drrrr.
The smartphone vibrated.
Wondering if it might be a contact from KSA, I checked the sender, and it was a call from a familiar person.
[Father Choi Ji-hyeok]
Father Choi.
A precious connection from my previous life that I absolutely don’t want to lose in this life. A call had come from him.
“Father! You’ve contacted me earlier than expected!”
-Haha, sometimes you need to put a comma in a peaceful religious life. Today seems like the perfect occasion.
“It’s actually my day off today!”
In fact, if there’s no dungeon to clear, all 24 hours are rest time for me.
A life free from time and role constraints in any guild or organization.
I’m greatly satisfied with my current lifestyle.
Of course, it’s a bit disappointing that I’ve only filled 1% of my retirement fund goal so far.
-I’d like to formally give you the thank you from that day. Where would be convenient for you?
“How about Sinchon Station?”
-You mean Hongryeon Station.
“Haha, that’s what everyone calls it.”
I was planning to take the 1st line from Jije Station, pass through Sindorim, and go to Sinchon anyway.
It’s a place I visited only once when I was young in my previous life.
As the priest said, I also wanted to look around an area where the Hongryeon Guild’s power is firmly established.
What would it feel like to see only specific guild emblems and marks in the area near the station?
I wanted to take a look.
-I’ll come right away. Where are you?
“I’m not on line 1.”
-Huh? Could it be now…
-This station is Osan, Osan Station.
The train’s announcement in my ear precisely matched the announcement inside the phone.
The priest and I were on the same train!
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