Episode 158
The group movement of the guilds started with Yeomchangsu.
With the warm response of the hunters, more hunters than expected gathered, and the media and the government were concerned about the injustice, but it ended unexpectedly.
This was possible because the Jung-in Guild intervened in the middle and Yeom Chang-soo himself did not want to make the situation bigger than this.
In the meantime, of course, the war of nerves continued.
At the promised 3 o’clock, Chang-soo Yeom led them to the downtown area near the Blue House saying he would buy a drink from the hunters who had gathered at the meeting place.
As about a thousand hunters were drinking in a short distance, the Blue House still could not relax, and Yeom Chang-soo continued to move around as if aiming for it, enjoying the 3rd and 4th rounds.
“Thank you so much.”
I said with a smile at the words of the deputy guild leader of the Firebird Guild.
“It was nothing.”
The assistant guild chief poked Yeom Chang-soo’s side and said.
“what are you doing.”
“···What. ‘Cause I got help Thanks to you, it went well.”
Yeom Chang-soo succeeded in showing off the power of the Hunters without any major accidents.
“no. Guild leader Yeom was patient with me, so it’s over.”
I said while looking at Yeom Chang-soo.
“By the way, I’m going to ask you honestly about what happened. Guild Master Yeom. If you have done this, what will you do if the government continues to carry out the same measures as it is now?”
“I have to do it one more time. even more drastic.”
“What if it still doesn’t work? So what about even more radically? What if it still doesn’t work?”
I said with a worried look.
“This incident will make the government even more vigilant about the guilds. At the same time, you must have felt some fear. But it won’t be easy to back off. The people are all watching, but the hunters can’t back down at once.”
Now it’s a battle of pride.
The government and hunters, who are representatives of the people, and Yeom Chang-soo, the representatives of the guilds.
The moment they step back, they say that they have to accept the criticisms of those who supported them.
“Neither of us can back down now. Self-esteem, status, position, everything is at stake. If we continue to attack each other, we will end up falling into a pit from which we can’t get out. So I will ask.”
I said looking at Yeom Chang-soo.
“Are you willing to make any concessions to the government? Assuming that the government will also make some concessions.”
Yeom Chang-soo, who was silent for a moment, said.
“If the government makes concessions, to some extent.”
I said with a bright smile.
“That was it. Compromise is possible only when each other makes concessions one step at a time. Do you know how the Hanmu Guild became a national hunter?”
“Suddenly the Hanmu Guild?”
“It is my work that the Hanmu Guild became a national hunter.”
Yeom Chang-soo said with a surprised expression at my words.
“Is it because of you that the Hanmoo Guild went to the national office?”
“It wasn’t because of me, it was the result of me coordinating between the Hanmoo Guild and Kim Kang-gyun, who was the presidential candidate at the time. Kim Kang-gyun, who needed the power of the Hanmu Guild and Hunter, who were in a corner. It is the result of the merging of interests of the two. Of course, no one knew because it was a secret contract.”
“Then you mean that Kim Kang-gyun didn’t bring out what the Hanmoo guild was caught doing terrorism for Kim Kang-gyun from the beginning?”
I nodded and said.
“It is correct. At that time, the Hanmu Guild had a lot of circumstantial evidence, but there was no conclusive evidence. However, the criticism was so strong that it was difficult to escape the charges easily. So, the fact that I personally compromised with Kim Kang-gyun created an environment for a fair investigation, but the Hanmu Guild accepted the state post for a certain period of time.”
Yeom Chang-soo said with his eyes shining.
“There was such a thing. I just thought it was the guy who ate with Kim Kang-gyun from the beginning.”
“Anyway, this time is no different. It just got bigger. I’d like to try a middle leg, what do you think? I think the government will accept it to some extent if it avoids imprisonment, fines, and only a few of the office staff carry guns and come out when public opinion calms down.”
“Hmm…”
The vice guild chief said with a smirk.
“Isn’t that good enough?”
“It is not. But, CEO Jung.”
Yeom Chang-soo said with a meaningful expression.
“Why are you intervening like this? Aren’t you the kind of person who can work so hard on things that don’t benefit you?”
Do you doubt my intentions?
What. This can be happen.
I shrugged and said.
“Because a quick solution is money.”
“money?”
Then, the deputy guild leader whispered something to Yeom Chang-soo with a look of regret.
“but. Aren’t you completely unrelated? Do you think there is a blow to the market?”
Yeom Chang-soo seems to be talking about the decrease in dungeon goods supplied to the black market due to this incident.
Of course, it’s really hurt the supply, and I’m actually losing money, but that’s just a loss. It’s nothing compared to what I’m aiming for.
Anyway, if you misunderstood me that way, thank you.
“I will not comment.”
Then Yeom Chang-soo nodded and said.
“good. It’s not polite to say no, even though you care so much.”
“haha. Okay. Then, let’s use our power in earnest.”
After seeing off Changsoo Yeom and the deputy guild head, I called Jo Man-cheol, the chief of staff this time.
– Representative Jung.
“You have been through a lot. How is the President?”
– To be honest, you are very angry right now.
“It would be. However, I think that the more you do, the more realistic advice you need from Director Cho. I understand that you are angry, but since the time was foretold only this time, the Jeongin Guild immediately intervened, but you never know when someone might do something similar at any time.”
-···I know.
“So, wouldn’t it be good to see some compromise at this point? Before the case overheats further. If you try to solve everything in a short period of time, side effects will inevitably occur. So take it slow. How about solving them one by one? If you do that, I will cooperate as much as possible. Guild leader Yeom Chang-soo also seems to be willing to make concessions to some extent, so I think we will be able to resolve it amicably if we communicate well.”
– You seem willing to make concessions? uhm…
Jo Man-cheol thought for a moment and said.
– I will report to the President first.
“thank you.”
So I ended up agreeing with both sides to some extent.
If this goes on, the guilds will admit the charges, but only receive a level of punishment that they can understand, and the government will get the justification for accusing those guilds anyway.
Although there will be people who are dissatisfied with the process, they say that it will be sutured to some extent.
I said raising the corners of my lips.
“Of course, I have no intention of leaving it alone.”
The very moment when the full-fledged contact started with Jung In-soo in the middle after Hunter’s collective protest.
Things started to get more complicated and strange.
“I beg your pardon?”
After receiving the warning protests from the hunters, Kim Kang-gyun went to the top of his head.
It was because the pride I had as the President of the Republic of Korea and the pride of being the representative of the people suffered a huge blow.
But realistically, the report came in the middle of a long struggle over the fact that it was impossible to completely control the sudden actions of the guilds without the help of the guild Jung-in.
“The witnesses are refusing to testify?!”
The key evidence in this case was the testimony of a black market merchant and a state hunter, and two kinds of ledgers confiscated by them.
That’s because the transactions between them were made entirely in cash.
So we were protecting the witnesses very thoroughly, but they suddenly shut their mouths while faithfully answering the prosecution’s investigation.
“Why do you suddenly refuse?”
“That … is not an accurate answer. Even when they threaten that they may cover up all the sins by doing this…”
“No…what the hell is that…”
They are preventing even contact between the black market merchant and the state hunter, but they refuse to testify as if they were weaving at the same time.
“no way···.”
Kim Kang-gyun said with a cold expression on his face.
“Were you threatened?”
The government as well as the guilds are well aware that they are key witnesses.
“They did the same to me as president. Wouldn’t those guys threaten to be witnesses? Whether it be family members, acquaintances, or witnesses themselves.”
“that. It can’t be. We are thoroughly defending ourselves by mobilizing not only CCTV but also hunters…”
“That’s something you don’t know.”
Kim Kang-gyun bit his lip and said.
“I don’t even know exactly what skills they have.”
There are skills that are useful in battle, but there are also skills that can be used in various fields like teleportation.
“Telepathy. Or a skill like invisibility. Or it wouldn’t be strange if something that we could not have imagined appeared.”
“Such . . . nonsense . . .”
“They’ve been running out of time against us. Pretending to compromise, to find witnesses behind the scenes and keep their mouths shut. Other than that, it makes no sense!”
At Kim Kang-gyun’s words, Jo Man-cheol spoke in an urgent voice.
“this. I will move the Witnesses to a more intimate place and then convince them again.”
“Move the minimum manpower. Only people you can trust.”
Kim Kang-gyun, who had been thinking for a while at the end of those words, said.
“And have Yeom Chang-soo and the guild leaders arrested and prosecuted.”
Kim Kang-gyun, who was originally scheduled to be arrested immediately, was hesitant for a while due to the group’s surprise attack by the Hunters.
Jo Man-cheol said with a firm expression.
“President.”
“It’s going to hit your head. We need to get rid of the centripetal point so that it doesn’t come together again.”
“However, if you do so in a situation where you are not sure if they really made a threat, you could cause a bigger disturbance. So, after being a little more certain, you move…”
“···ha. Wasn’t the presidency originally such a powerless position?”
The President of the Republic of Korea is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces and the supreme authority.
However, it is too difficult to control the existence of a hunter beyond common sense only with the existing legal system.
“···good. First, convince the witnesses to find out why they suddenly refused to testify.”
Everything I planned from start to finish.
Naturally, the black market merchant and national hunter who were taken away were all people I put in.
People who didn’t even know me existed with countless bridges in the middle.
They are faithfully engaged in the investigation and have been instructed in advance to refuse to testify in response to a specific signal.
“Ohh.”
Do you have enough patience?
I thought they’d do something right away, but they keep only the witnesses and keep quiet.
“Isn’t this enough?”
Then move more clearly.
“Are you rushing? Or a little?”
I pondered for a moment and then smiled.
“this. I still haven’t given up on my civic mind. You were going to make a hot move.”
I am strong
beyond my imagination.
Besides, I’m the one doing it, but I’m not the one to fix it, right?
What do you have to worry about?
I just need to cause an accident.
I picked up my cell phone and called someone.
-Yes. president.
It was Jaejin Lee.
“Jaejin. You’re a little busy with me these days.”
-no.
“But who else can I trust other than you? So please understand.”
– It’s nothing compared to what I got.
I said with a happy expression.
“Thank you for thinking that way.”
There is a blood-splattering competition for one or two skills, but Jae-Jin Lee is a monster among monsters with all kinds of active skills.
“Anyway, I think it’s time to start slowly. Did you receive the data?”
-received.
“great. then···”
I said raising the corners of my lips.
“in action.”
When Kim Kang-gyun was elected president, the most important thing was the control of the hunter through regulations and laws.
Therefore, it was Kim Chang-ki, Minister of Justice, who was the first person to be appointed by Kim Kang-gyun as a cabinet member.
To that extent, Kim Chang-gi was also a political comrade with Kim Kang-gyun as a person who did not hesitate to make harsh comments about Hunter.
“These outlaws…”
Such Kim Chang-gi was grinding his teeth towards the hunters who had recently gathered in front of the Blue House.
“I want to catch them all and put them in a cell…”
The problem was the law.
Because the Korean people have individual freedom, and Hunter was also one of the Korean people.
No matter how much restrictions were imposed, individual freedom was a part of the South Korean constitution that was guaranteed, so the limitations were clear.
Weapons, equipment, and skills are beyond common sense, so it was said that it was impossible to enact a law such as a ban on gatherings of more than 5 people by picking up only hunters.
The Korean people have freedom of assembly and demonstration, so even if hunters gather in thousands to protest, they have no authority to restrain them if they have legally followed the reporting process.
If the hunters gathered in that way get drunk and wield violence…
“Whoa.”
Dungeons are a blessing.
But at the same time it is a curse.
A curse that divides national opinion and destroys egalitarianism from the ground up.
“honey. Stop sleeping now.”
Kim Chang-gi nodded his head at his wife’s words and said.
“okay.”
Kim Chang-gi and his wife fell asleep like that.
But then.
There was a change in the couple’s room with a very subtle vibration.
It was Lee Jae-jin’s appearance.
‘… Minister Kim Chang-gi.’
Lee Jae-jin’s skills were truly spectacular.
Not only attack skills, but also general-purpose skills such as teleportation and invisibility.
Of course, not all trigger conditions are good, but they are sufficient to use in limited situations.
Jaejin Lee took out a rose from his arms and picked it up.
‘Did I tell you to put this by your bedside?’
Jaejin Lee is not stupid.
Of course, he knew very well what his actions meant.
‘It will be judged by the actions of a hard-line hunter.’
However, there was one thing that Jaejin Lee did not understand.
‘Why is the boss doing this?’
Jung In-soo is a person who has absolutely nothing to regret.
taken from noblemt l
Money is money, power is power.
Nevertheless, Jung In-soo constantly pursues something that cannot be understood.
just like in this case.
Even if you don’t separate the guilds and the government, their relationship is already the worst, and even if you do this, Jeong In-soo will not benefit materially.
Rather, it would be understandable if Jeong In-soo was trying to divide the Republic of Korea as a spy in another country.
‘Is this also to increase influence?’
I know that Jeong In-soo is overly obsessed with influence.
Jung In-soo is a person who is overly sensitive to something that he cannot control, and is satisfied only when he is looking down on everything.
Sometimes, the amount is too much and causes social problems, but Jeong In-soo does not stop.
Jaejin Lee always thinks of one thing while looking at them all from the side.
‘Defense Mechanism.’
Just as he harbored hostility to everything in the world when he was abused by his older brother, Jung In-su seems to recognize everything but himself and his surroundings as enemies.
That’s why I feel more sensitive and preemptive on everything.
‘But it doesn’t matter.’
Even if I did not understand what Jung In-soo was doing, it was always right, and it was the same this time.
He is Jung In-soo’s person, and therefore he is included in Jeong In-soo’s defense mechanism.
Because Jeong In-soo does not spare the recognition of his people.
In other words, Jung In-soo’s defense mechanism was nothing but an act of protecting himself to Jae-jin Lee.
Jae-jin Lee gently placed roses on the bedside of Minister Kim Chang-gi and his wife.
And when they release their hands, a rose that has escaped the influence of Jaejin Lee’s skill appears on the bedside of the minister and wife as if they were born out of the air.
‘Everything is as directed.’
Lee Jae-jin, who appeared like a ghost in Kim Chang-gi’s room, disappeared like a ghost just like when he appeared.
“honey. honey!”
Kim Chang-gi tossed and turned at his wife’s words and said.
“what. Is it time already?”
“It’s not that, when did you prepare something like this again? manly.”
“yes? What does that mean?”
Kim Chang-gi said as he got up with a scruffy face.
“What are you preparing for?”
“Pretending not to know.”
Kim Chang-gi’s wife said, holding up a rose.
“This one. this.”
“What is this? What rose?”
When Kim Chang-ki made an expression that seemed like he didn’t really know, his wife said with a puzzled expression.
“Isn’t this yours?”
“What are you talking about? Please explain so I can understand.”
“I woke up in the morning and this was by our bedside?”
“What?!”
Kim Chang-gi said as he grabbed the rose with a surprised expression.
“This was by our bedside?!”
The children of the Kim Chang-gi couple are already independent, and there are only two people living in this house.
But suddenly I woke up at the couple’s bedside to see that there was a rose.
Kim Chang-gi said with a pale expression.
“west. no way···!”