Chapter 59 – Hunter [Real Work]

December 16, 2027.

18:30.

Gwanghwamun, Korean Superhuman Association Headquarters.

Gu Seongguk let out a sigh as he looked down from the 20th-floor Association President’s office at the winter rain that had been falling sporadically just days ago, now transformed into snow blanketing the earth in a soft layer.

While Gu Seongguk was gazing out the window for a while, the door opened and a woman entered.

Approaching Gu Seongguk with her shoulder-length, voluminous hair swaying in her neat office look, the woman handed him a document.

“Ah, thank you.”

Gu Seongguk took the document from the woman. Instead of leaving, the woman stood beside him and quietly looked out at the scenery.

Flaring his nostrils slightly at the woman’s faint fragrance wafting from beside him, Gu Seongguk meticulously read through the document.

After reading the approximately 15-page document while standing there, Gu Seongguk.

“Hmm…….”

Closing the document, Gu Seongguk turned his gaze back out the window, still holding it.

“What are you so troubled about?”

In response to the woman’s words, Gu Seongguk merely sighed again without saying anything else.

The woman continued, looking at Gu Seongguk.

“Isn’t the scenery outside too beautiful to be sighing over?”

Gu Seongguk answered with a wry smile.

“Didn’t they say life is a tragedy when seen up close, but a comedy from a distance?”

“Charlie Chaplin said that.”

“Exactly. If I just look outside from here without a care in the world, it’s truly beautiful, just as you said, Ms. Jeongyeon. But as someone who knows the reality, it’s hard to smile because all sorts of sordid things happening out there come to mind rather than that beautiful scenery.”

At Gu Seongguk’s words, the woman, C-Rank agent Yeo Jeongyeon, made an expression of disagreement and turned her gaze back outside.

“It’s people who are sordid, not the world’s scenery, right?”

“Is that so?”

“Of course.”

“I see.”

Looking at Gu Seongguk speaking weakly, Yeo Jeongyeon wore a pitying expression.

“Don’t view the world so negatively. More people hope for justice like you, Association President, than scum like Yang Seungjun. I’ll be leaving for the day now. Good work.”

“Yes, good work.”

Yeo Jeongyeon went out.

Gu Seongguk, who had been watching her retreating back as she left, looked out the window again with a bitter expression.

After gazing out the window for a while, Gu Seongguk lowered his eyes and looked at the document cover.

<Overview of A-Rank Hunter Lee Siguk>

“Sigh……. I didn’t become Association President to deal with this kind of thing…….”

Gu Seongguk, having sighed, returned to his seat.

After placing the document on his desk, Gu Seongguk closed his eyes for a moment and sank into thought.

A short while later, opening his eyes, he immediately picked up the receiver and made a call.

After the dial tone rang for a while and the other party answered, Gu Seongguk spoke in a calm tone.

“Ah, this is the Association President. I’d like to schedule a meeting with the President. When would be a good time?”

December 17th.

17:30.

Friday evening. As quitting time approached, the JH Group headquarters building was generally buzzing with excitement.

Employees seated in the offices of subsidiaries like construction, trading, entertainment, and medical, regardless of rank, were finishing up their work with excited hearts, anticipating the end of the workday in 30 minutes.

But one place alone, the 32nd-floor Vice Chairman’s office, also serving as the General Planning Manager’s office and JH Guild office, was the scene of a chilling spectacle unfolding in an atmosphere as cold as thin ice.

“CEO Han, CEO Kang. I’m pretty sure I told you last time too? Know your damn place.”

Leaning slightly against the desk with his arms crossed, Siguk was looking down at the floor.

On the floor, Han Myeongho and Kang Bonggil were trembling violently, their heads bowed.

And in the corner, Park Seongjun, watching the scene, was also frozen stiff, having taken his hands off the computer and sitting upright.

Siguk looked at Park Seongjun and spoke.

“Seongjun, you can leave now.”

“A-Already?”

“Whether it’s 30 minutes more or 30 minutes early, it’s all the same anyway.”

Park Seongjun glanced around slightly, then quietly gathered his bag and stood up.

“I… I’ll be going ahead then.”

Park Seongjun bowed. Siguk waved his hand, and Park Seongjun, alternating his gaze between Siguk and the two men suffering with their heads bowed below him, soon left the office.

After Park Seongjun left, Siguk looked down at Han Myeongho and Kang Bonggil again and spoke.

“You guys really want to do it this way? Who the hell do you think you are, requesting a private meeting with Chairman Bae Eunjeong and causing a scene, you bastards. Huh? Are you the chairman? Huh? You sons of bitches, really.”

Under Siguk’s rebuke, the two men had nothing else to say.

“I’m sorry!”

“P-Please forgive us!”

They could only beg for forgiveness.

But today, Siguk didn’t seem inclined to let it slide.

“Just because Chairman Bae Eunjeong favors our father and her daughter shows interest in me doesn’t change the power dynamics between Ilshin Group and our JH. Even though we’ve grown enough to launch our own brand, we’re still just a mid-sized conglomerate, and the other side is a chaebol. You bastards!”

A mana storm erupted along with Siguk’s shout.

The desk shook for a moment, and Kang Bonggil and Han Myeongho lost their balance and fell.

Looking down at the two men tangled together and scrambling in an unsightly mess with a contemptuous expression, Siguk opened his mouth.

“On your feet.”

The two men sprang up from the floor.

“For the time being, you two focus on internal company work. Leave all external sales or contacts to the vice presidents or sales directors. Understood?”

“Yes!”

“Aye, understood!”

Siguk gestured for the two to leave.

The two men bowed to Siguk and then hurriedly left the office.

After a moment, Siguk, who had been holding his forehead and shaking his head, also soon gathered his clothes and went out.

Siguk arrived at the underground parking lot, half-heartedly acknowledging the greetings of employees rushing to finish up for the day.

Starting the engine of his black Maserati coupe, he drove out of the JH Group headquarters without hesitation.

The Maserati coupe sped along Olympic Road and entered the Signiel Tower in Sincheon-dong.

After handing over the car to valet parking, Siguk took the VIP-only elevator straight up to the 100th-floor hotel suite.

“Oh! Siguk!”

Dmitry, an FSB agent who had been looking down at the Seoul cityscape from the suite, extended his hand happily upon seeing Siguk.

As Siguk shook his hand, he continued with a smile.

“Wow. I thought an A-Rank Hunter’s hands would be different from ours, but they’re the same?”

At Dmitry’s words, Siguk merely chuckled.

“Well, even His Excellency President Ivanov’s hands and feet are the same as before.”

“You’ve met President Ivanov?”

“I had a few face-to-face briefings with His Excellency when he was FSB Director. He wasn’t Awakened yet back then, but his build was similar to now. His nickname was Hulk.”

“Really?”

After chatting for a while about Siguk’s Awakening and Ivan Ivanov, Russia’s A-Rank Hunter and President, the two soon turned the conversation topic to business over a glass of vodka each.

“You came to the Russian Embassy in Korea this time, right?”

At Siguk’s question, Dmitry nodded and answered.

“My official title is Counselor. Well, my affiliation is still FSB, not the Foreign Ministry. You could think of it as a kind of sabbatical. As you know, among our foreign missions, Korea is relatively quiet.”

Dmitry spoke as if it were nothing, but Siguk didn’t take it at face value.

‘Would they send an FSB Lieutenant Colonel here for no reason?’

But Siguk didn’t show it, merely nodding and pretending to agree.

“Well, no need to worry too much. The friend who just became the new Far East Branch Chief is quite… open-minded.”

Listening to Dmitry’s sophistry, packaging ‘corrupt’ with the word ‘open-minded,’ Siguk chuckled.

Dmitry, probably aware his words were nonsense, smiled sheepishly and took a sip of vodka.

Refilling his glass, Siguk asked.

“How did that thing we talked about last time go?”

“Huh? Ah, Bureau Zero of the Ministry of State Security?”

Siguk nodded.

Dmitry shook his head and frowned.

“Siguk, I understand what you want, but honestly, those Bureau Zero guys from China’s Ministry of State Security are hard for even us to make contact with. Other departments within the Ministry, maybe, but…”

“Hmm…….”

“As you probably know, Bureau Zero is recognized as a completely independent department even within the Ministry of State Security. You could tell from this Magic Stone incident; they only communicate with the National Chairman.”

Ultimately, it meant he couldn’t provide a bridge to Bureau Zero of China’s Ministry of State Security.

Siguk was quite disappointed but didn’t show it.

After all, Dmitry and the FSB Far East District Branch were important business partners for Siguk.

“Well, can’t be helped. Thanks for looking into it anyway.”

At Siguk’s words, Dmitry gave an apologetic-looking wry smile.

Their glasses clinked in the air, and soon the vodka went down their throats to their stomachs.

Dmitry refilled his own and Siguk’s glass and changed the subject.

“Oh right, about Pyongyang. The atmosphere seems quite unusual lately.”

“Pyongyang?”

“It’s not confirmed yet, but recently, the movements of the guys in the Organization Guidance Department are said to be similar to when Kim Jong-il died.”

“……. Could it be?”

“Not certain. So I hear all the foreign missions stationed in Pyongyang have gone on emergency duty. In the past, the Organization Guidance Department would have taken control, but the fact they can’t even manage control now probably means soon…”

Siguk nodded and took a sip of vodka.

‘Much earlier than expected.’

Siguk’s past-life memories of North Korea were only fragments.

He only remembered that the Supreme Leader died in early 2028, and afterwards, his sister and wife managed the chaos but ultimately lost control except for Pyongyang and its vicinity.

It wasn’t for nothing that Najin became one of the best black markets after the Second Upheaval.

‘In my past life, it was the Ministry of State Security that took control of Najin…’

Siguk asked Dmitry as if it were nothing, tearing into a shashlik.

“If the Organization Guidance Department is busy, it’ll probably be hard to meet with the Vice Minister of the Ministry of State Security for a while too, right?”

At Siguk’s question, Dmitry shrugged his shoulders and answered.

“Who knows? Well, originally the Organization Guidance Department controlled the Ministry of State Security, but after the leader collapsed, the Ministry seems to be doing its own thing a bit. I guess we’ll have to try contacting Vice Minister Jang directly?”

“Really?”

A slight smile touched the corner of Siguk’s mouth.

Siguk raised his glass. Dmitry raised his in response.

Their glasses clinked in the air, and the vodka poured down their throats into their stomachs.

Feeling the familiar intoxication from that fiery sensation, Siguk broke into a bright smile.

December 17th, 19:25.

Cheong Wa Dae Reception Room.

“Have some tea. It’s ginseng tea made from ginseng brought from Gangwon-do. It’s quite good. Hahaha.”

At Hyeon Woongryeol’s urging, Gu Seongguk took a sip of the ginseng tea.

Watching him, Hyeon Woongryeol continued.

“So, what brings you to see me, Association President?”

At Hyeon Woongryeol’s question, Gu Seongguk set down his teacup.

Then he handed the document he had brought to Hyeon Woongryeol.

Taking the three-page report, Hyeon Woongryeol looked at Gu Seongguk.

“You need to read that first before we can talk.”

“Hmm.”

Without another word, Hyeon Woongryeol quickly skimmed the three-page report Gu Seongguk had handed over.

When Hyeon Woongryeol’s gaze lingered on the bottom of the last page, Gu Seongguk, who had been silently watching until then, opened his mouth.

“That’s roughly the extent of the situation regarding JH Group Chairman Lee Jeonghoon, Hunter Lee Siguk, and that family.”

Hyeon Woongryeol set the report aside on the table and looked at Gu Seongguk.

“This is information we’ve already ascertained as well. What about it?”

“As you know, Hunter Lee Siguk has one younger sister. They grew up in the same orphanage, were adopted by Chairman Lee Jeonghoon on the same day, and are said to have a very close relationship.”

“I know.”

“And on the day Hunter Lee Siguk Awakened, his younger sister almost died due to Seo Juhwi’s Skeleton Soldier.”

“That’s right.”

One of Hyeon Woongryeol’s eyebrows began to gradually rise.

It was his habit when a subordinate reported in a conclusion-first manner rather than a premise-first manner.

Only because Gu Seongguk wasn’t legally his subordinate did harsh words not come out; if it had been a minister or a Cheong Wa Dae senior secretary, blunt language and shouting would have flown immediately.

Not unaware of this, Gu Seongguk immediately stated his conclusion.

“In light of these circumstances, I judge it would be good to inform Hunter Lee Siguk of the details of the transaction between Yang Seungjun and Seo Juhwi.”

“Huh?”

As if not understanding, Hyeon Woongryeol tilted his head and looked at Gu Seongguk.

After taking a sip of ginseng tea, Gu Seongguk finished with a stern expression.

“……. I intend to have Hunter Lee Siguk eliminate Yang Seungjun.”

“…….”