Chapter 129 – Bustle [Busy Life]

As Siguk had publicly declared, as soon as the new year of 2032 dawned, those belonging to the cartel found themselves living lives so busy they forgot what leisure was.

“Contact has come from the cell organization in Shanghai. They say the work of consolidating local criminal organizations is currently 60% complete.”

“Contact from the sleeper agent planted in Fujian Province. They report successfully obtaining residence and vehicles from the Fujian Provincial Party Secretary.”

“The Fujian Provincial Party Secretary reportedly sleeps over at the sleeper agent’s officetel more than twice a week.”

“A meeting with the Hong Kong financial king has been arranged. Given it was arranged by Zhou Peiling, the Chinese President, it seems quite certain.”

Siguk divided the work of pioneering the Chinese branch exactly in half between Yeo Jeongyeon and Kurokawa Minori.

Yeo Jeongyeon mainly handled the work in Shanghai and Fujian Province, while Kurokawa Minori was solely responsible for the Hong Kong side.

Thanks to the help of Zhou Peiling, who had become a close aide to State Council Premier Li Kebao, all the various tasks necessary for branch pioneering proceeded smoothly without any major issues.

The problem was that the sheer volume of work was overwhelming.

“The Chairman requests a summarized report of the meeting with the Chinese President.”

Yeo Jeongyeon, the Korean Superhuman Association President and National Policy Advisory Council Vice Chairman who still used the Superhuman Association building in Gwanghwamun as her main workspace, let out a light sigh at the words of the cartel-affiliated Superhuman Association agent and National Policy Advisory Council Vice Chairman’s secretary, then raised her head.

“How soon?”

“He said he’d prefer to receive it by 23:00 today if possible.”

23:00.

Current time: 20:00.

Only three hours left.

Yeo Jeongyeon sighed again.

“First, I’ll mark the important parts from the meeting transcript, so Secretary Kang, please handle the rest.”

“Yes. Also, there’s contact from the sleeper agent in Fujian Province. They say they plan to come to Jeju Island next month with the Fujian Provincial Party Secretary. What should we do?”

“To Jeju Island?”

“Yes.”

Yeo Jeongyeon slightly frowned.

The Fujian Provincial Party Secretary was a person with exceptional political skills, skillfully walking a tightrope between the Beijing Faction and the Shanghai Faction, maintaining friendly relations with both sides.

The funds and personnel the cartel had mobilized to win over such a person were roughly comparable to those mobilized to monitor Li Kebao, the Premier and de facto ruler of China and a candidate for the next Chairman.

“I’ll report that separately to the Chairman myself.”

At her words, the secretary bowed and left the association president’s office.

Watching the secretary’s retreating back, Yeo Jeongyeon let out a light sigh.

‘First, I should call about the Fujian Provincial Party Secretary’s movements… No, I should send the meeting summary first.’

She immediately printed the transcript.

Staring blankly as fifty A4 pages’ worth of transcript rapidly poured from the printer, Yeo Jeongyeon gathered them once they were all out and returned to sit at her desk.

After spending about forty minutes meticulously highlighting important parts with a marker, she immediately called the secretary and handed over the transcript.

Twenty minutes later, the secretary created a summarized file of the meeting transcript and delivered it to Yeo Jeongyeon, who promptly sent it to Siguk.

After confirming the encrypted summary file had been sent via email, she hesitated for a moment before picking up her smartphone.

‘Should I send a message? No. There’s also the Fujian Provincial Party Secretary issue…’

She canceled the message she was about to send and called Siguk instead.

After a somewhat long ringtone, Siguk answered the phone.

• What is it?

“I sent the requested meeting summary via email. The password is my birthday.”

Hearing Siguk’s voice directly for the first time in a full three months, Yeo Jeongyeon’s face flushed red.

• Uh, okay. Good job.

“Ah, right. And we received information from the Fujian sleeper agent that the Fujian Provincial Party Secretary will visit Jeju Island next month.”

• The Party Secretary? Why? For what reason?

“It seems the purpose is simply for vacation.”

• Is that so?

For a while, only the sound of tapping on a desk came from the other end of the line.

Knowing that signaled Siguk was thinking, Yeo Jeongyeon quietly waited for him to speak.

• First, report any related information directly to me as it comes in. Since he’s coming to Jeju for vacation, it should be convenient to cook.

“Yes. Understood.”

For a moment, Yeo Jeongyeon debated.

Should I say this? Or not?

However, the debate didn’t last long. Because Siguk showed signs of ending the call.

“When the Party Secretary comes to Jeju Island next month… won’t you come with me?”

• Just the two of us?

“Yes. Firstly, Korea is also an area I manage, and also, it doesn’t seem quite right for you to handle all these various troublesome chores personally.”

As if reading her hidden intentions?

From beyond the receiver, Siguk chuckled.

• If you go expecting a vacation, you’ll be disappointed. I’ve said it repeatedly, but until the cartel is firmly established in China, there’s no such thing as a vacation for us.

“I know that well.”

• Okay. Let’s coordinate this based on the Fujian Provincial Party Secretary’s movements for now.

Yeo Jeongyeon’s expression brightened.

Soon the call ended, and she placed her smartphone face down on the desk, smiling broadly.

‘Right. It’s okay if my love is greater. It’s not one-sided love anyway.’

Sending her own answer to Bae Hyeonil’s question of whether their love was equal, Yeo Jeongyeon thus concluded her busy day.

“The meeting with the Hong Kong financial king ended successfully. Whether it’s because they only know us as multinational businessmen, or because the meeting arranger is a Ministry of State Security agent, they were generally friendly towards us, I hear.”

Soaking in bubbles in the bathtub, Kurokawa Minori was on the phone.

Amidst the Tokyo nightscape and the softness of the bubbles, relieving the day’s fatigue, Siguk spoke from the other end of the line.

• Still, you must always be cautious. Hong Kong guys aren’t trustworthy. It’s well-known that even after ‘one country, two systems’ was abolished, it was Hong Kong capitalists and criminal organizations that lobbied Beijing to maintain their vested interests.

At his words, Kurokawa Minori smiled and replied.

“Don’t worry. Sakamoto is staying in Hong Kong and always keeping a close watch.”

• The criminal organization attached to the financial king was the Golden Dragon Society, right?

“That’s correct.”

• They have five C-Rank Villains with them, I hear?

“Since Zhou Peiling, the Chinese President, assessed it that way, it must be so.”

• In times like these, anyone who can have five Villains attached to them alone is absolutely not someone to take lightly. Them being friendly to us this time is also a calculated move; they must have separate intentions.

At Siguk’s constantly vigilant demeanor, Kurokawa Minori simply smiled.

‘That’s so like him.’

Suddenly, Kurokawa Minori realized it had already been four months since she last saw Siguk.

‘Except for briefly meeting in Vladivostok during the cartel delegation meeting in spring… Even then, we couldn’t properly have fun and just parted after the meeting.’

But she didn’t express such regrets to Siguk.

‘It’s a busy time. Right in the thick of it.’

Thinking so, she opened her mouth.

“Don’t worry. You know Sakamoto’s personality well, right? And if needed, it’s a matter the fixer from Korea can step in for directly.”

At her words, Siguk chuckled from the other end of the line.

• For the Chairman himself to step out just to deal with one Hong Kong financial king… Were our cartel only at that level?

“Who said you should step out personally?”

• Then?

“There’s a capable fixer, you know. President Kim Yanggi.”

Finally, Siguk burst into laughter from the other end of the line.

• Okay. Got it. I’ll talk to President Kim Yanggi in advance.

“I’d like to have a meal with President Kim Yanggi sometime. I’ve never met him directly.”

• President Kim Yanggi is also busy these days.

“I suppose so?”

A few more words were exchanged, and the call ended.

Kurokawa Minori threw her smartphone into the towel basket and then submerged her face into the bubbles.

‘Just endure a little longer. If things go well in China, then it’ll become much more leisurely than now.’

Thinking so, she quietly calmed her heated body and mind within the bubbles.

“These days, Polya sends complaints via text at least once a day. Saying you don’t play with her.”

With a smile, Ivan Ivanov said that while giving instructions to his secretary with his fingers.

The secretary, who readily understood the instructions, lightly bowed her head, placed the documents on the desk, and left the office.

Left alone, Ivan Ivanov opened the documents and continued speaking into the receiver as he read.

“She says that before, you still shared a bed together faithfully two or three times a week, but these days even that’s gone?”

At his words, Siguk on the other end of the line coughed awkwardly as if taken aback.

• What, do you discuss such things between father and daughter?

“What’s there that can’t be discussed?”

• It’s not that there is, but… it’s a bit awkward, you know. Haha.

“Comfort Polya appropriately too. She’s already whining to me about how hard her studies are lately; shouldn’t you, who’s right beside her, offer some comfort?”

• I’d like to do that too, but… you know, I’m busy these days.

“I know well. Lavrov keeps submitting reports incessantly.”

Saying so, Ivan Ivanov closed the documents with a thud.

And as if Siguk were right before his eyes, he pointed his finger and continued.

“I know you’re busy, but you still have to keep taking care of your own people. That’s how they won’t harbor other thoughts even if something happens later.”

• Other thoughts… are you saying that to me?

“Hey, don’t be too arrogant. Looking at how the world is turning these days, even an A-Rank Hunter can’t be guaranteed safety. Carlos Rodriguez was found dead just two months ago. Have you already forgotten?”

Carlos Rodriguez, the Hispanic illegal immigrant from America who became the world’s 51st A-Rank Awakened One after Siguk.

Mentioning that he was found dead at his home two months ago, having suffered multiple magical attacks of unknown origin, Siguk’s voice on the other end regained some weight.

• I know. Please don’t worry. I’m also preparing well, you see.

“I don’t think you’ll become a corpse either. But still, be careful. Suspicious movements are being detected one by one.”

• Suspicious movements… by any chance, Ululu Tumbebe’s side? Or NAC?

“I can’t say for sure. But based on interrogations of a few of their contacts captured by our guys, there’s definitely something.”

• A connection between Ululu Tumbebe and NAC?

“Yes. Also, the FSB Moscow branch recently captured someone suspected of being an NAC spy. They’re interrogating hard now, so some answer will probably come out soon… Anyway, be careful. Something… something is happening.”

• Understood. I’ll be careful, Nikolayevich.

“Good.”

Thus, the two exchanged a few more words before ending the call.

“Phew…”

After consecutive calls with three people, Siguk let out a sigh.

The Fujian Provincial Party Secretary’s secret visit to Jeju Island, the Hong Kong financial king’s friendly moves with unknown intentions, the invisible demonic beast of Ululu Tumbebe and NAC, and the A-Rank Hunter Carlos Rodriguez who died two months ago.

Siguk felt a headache coming on and took a sip of water.

‘Take good care of your people…’

As Ivan Ivanov had said, Siguk had been keeping his own people excessively distant under the pretext of being busy.

‘Well, I just need to get a little busier.’

Thinking so, Siguk slowly entered the room.

Inside the room, Polina was lying sideways on the bed, her back to Siguk.

Siguk quietly went and lay behind her, embracing her.

As Siguk’s arms suddenly wrapped around her body, Polina flinched and trembled.

“Darling?”

To her ear, Siguk asked.

“Not yet.”

Polina answered briefly.

“Tired?”

Siguk asked.

“Maybe?”

Polina answered simply.

Siguk lightly kissed the top of her head.

Feeling Polina flinch through his arms, Siguk quietly held her.

And that day, for the first time in a very long while, the two spent a long night together.