Chapter 1583. Face to Face (3)

“Sir, the groundwork has been laid out.”

“...” Kang Jin-Ho’s brows quivered as he listened to Lee Hyeon-Su.

“And now, all you have to do is put the finishing touches on this matter.”

“You make it sound so simple, but...”

Kang Jin-Ho didn’t even try to hide how uncomfortable he felt.

“What am I even supposed to do here?”

“You know, that thing you do so well. You only need to, uh, trample on him a bit until he will unhesitantly say, ‘Yes, sir! You’re right, sir!’ even if you say something weird like the sky is red.”

“...” Kang Jin-Ho squeezed his eyes shut and massaged his temples. “Do I have to go that far?”

“Yes, sir. You must go that far. This matter is more important than you think, after all.”

Kang Jin-Ho sighed deeply. His migraine was acting up again.

“I know it’s annoying, but it’s better to get this over with as soon as possible, sir,” said Lee Hyeon-Su. “After all, we’ve lost too much time on these people when time is exactly what we don’t have a lot of.”

“Fine. Got it,” Kang Jin-Ho replied with a simple nod. “Any other issues?”

“The Special Operations Brigade will enter South Korea sometime next week, sir.”

“So soon?”

“Yes, sir. They were very enthusiastic, actually. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if they couldn’t wait anymore and lived inside tents with how eager they were. I gotta give it to the American military in matters like this, sir. If this was South Korea, our government would’ve delayed the deployment until our troops’ living quarters were fully constructed.”

“Really? But I think the Korean military wouldn’t have minded forcing its soldiers to sleep rough, though?”

“Eh...? Huh?” Lee Hyeon-Su tilted his head. “That... oddly makes sense, doesn’t it? At the same time, I’m not sure about that, either. Our military can be such a whimsical place, after all.”

Kang Jin-Ho chuckled just then. Of course, he understood that the Korean military would forever be the butt of the joke for all Korean men who had to go through the mandatory military service, but still...

“Right... Judging from the recent hazing incident, I’m not sure the Martial Assembly is in any position to insult the Korean military.”

Lee Hyeon-Su groaned. “Haaah... It’s unfortunate, sir, that our people are too corrupted by evil customs...”

Even Lee Hyeon-Su didn’t know that the Martial Assembly and the Yeongnam Group boasted such inhumane hazing rituals. However, how could he know? Or for that matter, how would Kang Jin-Ho have known?

After all, both men started their “careers” in the Assembly as executives. It’d be impossible for them to know what the newbies had to go through unless they kept an eye out on every single training session.

Lee Hyeon-Su muttered in lamentation. “Haaah... When I was in the military, I always slagged the useless brass for not paying enough attention to the grunts, but to think I’d be guilty of the same thing...”

Kang Jin-Ho cocked an eyebrow. “I didn’t know you served in the army.”

“What do you mean by that, sir? Of course I served! In the reconnaissance division, no less! Assembly Master, do you even know what GP is?”[1]

Kang Jin-Ho tutted. “Oh, really? Have you ever tried to lift up a 155mm howitzer before?”

“That doesn’t sound difficult at all, sir. I mean, if you wanted to, couldn’t you have played gonggi with those dang cannons?!”[2]

“You must’ve had an easy time in the reconnaissance division, then! With your stamina, you could’ve hiked ten mountains while whistling away!”

When Vator and Wiggins tilted their heads in confusion and watched Kang Jin-Ho and Lee Hyeon-Su bicker away, Bang Jin-Hun smiled gently and explained the situation to them.

“Let them be. Arguing about whose time in the military was tougher is an unmissable pastime for all Korean men, you see?”

“Really?” Vator scowled. “Times like this? I remember how weird Korea can be.”

Wiggins nodded. “Yes, I agree.”

Bang Jin-Hun shrugged. “No need to pay attention to them, sirs. Whether it’s the reconnaissance division or the artillery, they were all part of the land-dwelling army, anyway. It couldn’t have been tougher than the Marine Corps, after all. Which I was a member of.”

“...”

“...”

Ah. This guy is also a Korean man, isn’t he?

Lee Hyeon-Su groaned softly. “In any case... I’ll try to prevent something like that from happening again. Geez, the Japanese occupation sure has left us with too many unsavory legacies to deal with, no?”

Wiggins smirked and corrected Lee Hyeon-Su’s assertion. “That’s a misunderstanding, Mister Lee. I learned something valuable while studying Korean history. You see, even during the Joseon dynasty era, the newbies joining Songgyungwan had to go through a hazing ritual, such as being chucked into various ponds.”[3]

“...”

Sorry? How do you even know that, sir? Are you a Korean man?

“Also, I’ve noticed that Koreans have this strange penchant for self-criticism,” said Wiggins.

“Sorry? What do you mean?”

“Even though other nations are also just as guilty, Koreans think these things are unique to their culture and feel ashamed of them.”

“...?” Lee Hyeon-Su’s eyes opened wider. “Sorry?”

Wiggins spoke indifferently. “I’m talking about things like bullying the newbies or some other specific target, for instance. Such things also exist in other nations, including in the West. Actually, I’d say it was even worse in the past. Nowadays, we don’t often hear about bullying of such severity, but not because people’s sentiments or perceptions have improved. No, it’s because of all the changes to the rules and regulations, which ensured that the offenders would be slapped with harsh penalties.”

“...”

“...”

“In South Korea’s case, we still hear about such issues because the offenders often get away with their actions, their punishment minimal. But the Koreans tend to see that as a cultural phenomenon and are ashamed of it. Something I have a hard time understanding, to be honest.”

Vator nodded weightily. “Wiggins is right. If the same thing happened to the warriors of the Great Plains, no one would’ve felt ashamed. No, the one getting bullied would’ve been seen as the weakling!”

Lee Hyeon-Su frowned slightly. “Sir, this and that are not exactly comparable.”

What he really wanted to say, though, was this: “Your people are the weirdos, sir! Okay?! Not us!”

Lee Hyeon-Su fake-coughed. “Let me say this in case everyone here gets the wrong idea about Mongolia. Sir Vator’s personal opinion is just that, his opinion, and it doesn’t represent the general sentiment of the Mongol martial society.”

Wiggins replied weirdly. “...I’ll keep that in mind.”

Lee Hyeon-Su sighed and scratched his head. “How did we get sidetracked and end up talking about this...? Ah, that’s right, the Americans! Gee whiz, whenever we’re talking about our military experiences, we just... Urgh.”

Lee Hyeon-Su finally broke free from the brief bout of chronic Former Soldier syndrome and tried to regain control of his trembling voice.

“Getting back to the topic... Yes, the Americans have contacted us and said that by next week, they will have finished deploying their troops, and before the weekend, they will be ready to receive our guidance. In that case, we should adjust our schedules to match theirs.”

Kang Jin-Ho cocked his head. “Where will their base be?”

“I’ve heard that it’s somewhere near the Martial Assembly HQ, sir. It’s some distance away from the Seoul Metropolitan Area and with little to no residential areas nearby. Thanks to this location, they received minimal resistance from the general public. Environmental activists have apparently lodged urgent complaints, but I’m sure the folks at the government will take care of that on their own.”

“Mm...” Kang Jin-Ho slowly nodded. “Once you’re done with the training itinerary, I want to have a look.”

“Understood. I’ll try to make it as convenient as possible for you.”

“Then, what about Japan?”

The one who answered Kang Jin-Ho this time wasn’t Lee Hyeon-Su but Bang Jin-Hun.

“The matter with Japan will also get wrapped up by next week, sir. Unlike how things are with the American military, we have a lot more stuff to organize, which has taken a bit more time.”

“I see. Where will they stay, though?”

“Nothing to worry about in that regard, sir. We have plenty of empty rooms in the Assembly, after all. We’ll just assign them to our old dormitory.”

“Mm...”

The Americans were arriving here as soldiers being deployed on foreign soil, so they needed a base of operations first. But that wasn’t the case for the Japanese martial artists. It’d be fine to let them stay within the Assembly grounds.

“Yeah, that sounds like the correct approach,” said Kang Jin-Ho.

“Rather than complicating things while trying to make everything look official, I figured it’d be more efficient to go with what’s most convenient for us. That should reduce our burden the most, after all.”

Kang Jin-Ho nodded. “I’ll leave it up to you.”

“Don’t worry, sir. I’ll report back to you once I wrap everything up nicely.”

Kang Jin-Ho nodded again, then scanned the rest of the executives in the office. “Any other issues?”

Wiggins raised his hand. “My lord? We need to purchase a few items as soon as possible. I’d like to improve our mages until they can serve as an actual combat force, which means we need a lot of reagents and material.”

Kang Jin-Ho replied disinterestedly. “Got it. Ask Lee Hyeon-Su for the funds.”

“...But he’s refusing, my lord.”

“Huh?” Kang Jin-Ho dazedly stared at Lee Hyeon-Su.

That was when Lee Hyeon-Su responded firmly. “You’re nurturing fewer than a hundred people, so how can your equipment and material cost shoot past ten billion won?! Are you seriously suggesting that one mage needs over a hundred million won just to cover for their so-called reagents and stuff?!”[4]

Kang Jin-Ho’s gaze shifted away from Lee Hyeon-Su and landed on Wiggins again.

Wiggins shrugged helplessly. “Mages as a class need a lot of capital, my lord. There isn’t much I can do about it, I’m afraid.”

Lee Hyeon-Su yelled at Wiggins. “Even if that’s true! How could you spend that much in the blink of an eye?! We couldn’t have reached this amount unless it also includes all the massive research costs you’ve incurred, master!”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“...? I’m sorry?”

“I told you, I want to turn the mages into actual combatants. And that’s why it costs so much.”

“Yes, you’ve said that.”

“That means... I need to nurture myself, too!”

“...”

“I’m the strongest mage you have! Obviously, it’s important for me to get stronger, too! That means I need to do research and refine my magic, okay?! So what’s wrong with spending some money on myself?!”

Wowsers... What a watertight argument that is.

When Lee Hyeon-Su was too speechless to respond, Kang Jin-Ho chuckled and made the decision for him.

“Give him the funds.”

“Thank you, my lord!”

“But, sir!” Lee Hyeon-Su yelled in alarm as if he couldn’t accept this ruling. “Ten billion isn’t some random puppy’s name, you know! Even if the Assembly is loaded, and MK is making money hand over fist, spending money so recklessly will lead to us collapsing in the blink of an eye!”

Kang Jin-Ho shrugged. “It’s not like Wiggins will waste the money on useless things, right? So, give him the money. Remember the situation we’re in. He’s not asking for more money to host fancy parties, after all.”

“Yes, I get that, but... Urgh.”

“Wiggins?”

“My lord?”

Kang Jin-Ho’s expression stiffened a little. “In return, I’d like you to produce tangible results.”

“Of course. I guarantee you satisfaction at the end of the day.”

“I know I shouldn’t be pushing for results while financing your training efforts. I’m sorry.”

“No, no need to apologize, my lord. We all know the situation we’re in, after all. Please don’t worry about anything. We will focus on magic specializing in actual combat.”

Kang Jin-Ho nodded in acceptance.

Lee Hyeon-Su ruefully licked his lips, but stopped arguing back. He knew he shouldn’t keep opposing the decision Kang Jin-Ho had already made.

“Very well... I’ll approve the budget.”

Wiggins winked playfully at Lee Hyeon-Su. While suppressing the boiling something in his gut, Lee Hyeon-Su groaned and resumed his reporting.

“Going back to the matter with Taegwang... Mm...”

He briefly perused the documents in his hands.

“We might have dealt with the Japanese martial society, but that doesn’t mean Japan is completely under our control. Their martial society and the political sphere are in cahoots, yes, but they are still separate entities. That’s why there will be a limit to how much money we can squeeze out of Japan through its martial society’s influence.”

“Mm...”

“So, the plan is to set up a new corporation through Taegwang and take over Japan’s distribution network. That’s where the real money is, after all. We’ll get the Japanese martial artists and the Yakuza to take over the distribution network as quickly as possible, then extract the money through various routes.”

“Oh! Their distribution network, you say?”

“Good idea, that one.”

“Mm!”

Kang Jin-Ho grinned while listening to the other directors reacting positively to this news.

Yup, I better pretend I understand everything.

Why was this? He attended a university course on business management, and people often talked about how good he was at studying, so why? Why couldn’t he understand what these people were talking about?!

Just what was the point of university education if...

...Oh. I didn’t even attend the course for a year.

In the meantime, Lee Hyeon-Su continued on with his report. “That’s why Jeong Hong-Geun’s involvement is crucial. That man is genuinely capable of squeezing out every dime by resorting to all kinds of unsavory tactics. The deal will say seven to three in MK’s favor over Taegwang, at least on the surface. But in reality, it’ll be more like nine to one in our favor. That’s how we will split the money.”

“Even then, they’ll still earn a lot of profit.”

“Yes, sir. And in return for choosing Taegwang as our... partner this time, we’ll acquire some of Taegwang’s shares. That should minimize our risk, too.”

“...” Wiggins grinned in satisfaction. “I’ve seen a fair few daylight robbers in my lifetime, but you certainly qualify as one of the most outrageous, Mister Lee. Do you honestly think any sane man would go along with such conditions?”

“Yes, he will. Jeong Hong-Geun isn’t the type to care much about short-term gains, after all. If he thinks he can ensure a prosperous future, he won’t hesitate, even if it means incurring some losses right now. In fact, I’d imagine he’d gladly roll around in the dirt if he thought that would help.”

Lee Hyeon-Su sneakily glanced at Kang Jin-Ho next.

“Besides, isn’t that our Assembly Master’s specialty? As in, turning the improbable into reality? I’m sure he already has a plan.”

The trio of directors nodded in sync.

“Yes, you’re right.”

“With my master in charge, there’s nothing to worry about.”

“Good. Let’s move on to the next agenda.”

Kang Jin-Ho smiled brightly at the responses of the three directors.

Everyone?

Did you know that I sometimes feel uncomfortable about all of your unfairly excessive expectations?

I wish you could understand that...

Kang Jin-Ho sighed deeply while listening to the directors, who had already moved on to the next agenda.

1. The “GP” here isn’t “general practitioner” or “Grand Prix” but an acronym for “guard post”. The soldiers of “GP” are stationed at the northern-most guard posts that face North Korea. ☜

2. Gonggi is a Korean playground game, traditionally played using five or more small pebbles or plastic stones no larger than a grape. ☜

3. Phew, there seems to be a lot of TL notes this chapter, no? Songgyungwan was the foremost educational institution during the late Goryeo and Joseon dynasties. ☜

4. At the time of TLing, ten billion won is around $7.18 million USD. ☜