Descent of the Demon Master

Kang Jin-Ho pensively muttered, “I see. I understand the reasons now. However…”

That was when Hwang Jeong-Hu’s expression waned.

‘Huh. Haven't I heard that line from somewhere before? In fact, lots of times before?’

Indeed, Hwang Jeong-Hu himself used to say it quite often, didn't he? This was what he used to yell at the top of his lungs at the room full of Jaegyeong's presidents.

“Things will always get in your way! Stop looking for excuses for why you got delayed, and find ways to get this done as quickly as possible! You goddamn idiots!”

“Chairman. There will always be things getting in your way. However, I believe this matter can be settled a little faster than this.”

“…”

So, this was what it felt like, then? Hwang Jeong-Hu suddenly felt stiffness and weariness invade his eyes.

Back then, he thought the white-haired presidents of different divisions panicking from what he said was par for the course. He believed that only in a rotten organization would the boss hesitate to point out what was wrong with it.

However, Hwang Jeong-Hu was getting a belated lesson on something he didn’t know. As it turned out, there were other ways to point out the wrongs of an organization. Although, it was a bit too late to realize this!

Hwang Jeong-Hu stuttered a little. “W-well, that’s, uh…”

“Yes?”

“Mm, so, it’s like…”

“Yes?” Kang Jin-Ho continued to stare at Hwang Jeong-Hu with still, calm eyes.

Hwang Jeong-Hu realized he could predict what Kang Jin-Ho would say next. And that would be… ‘Yes, I know you guys were trying hard. I get that.’

“Chairman, I know you were trying hard. I also understand that it’s impossible to be as active as you were in the past.”

‘However, trying hard but not getting any results is nothing to brag about!’

“However, it's true that we haven't gotten the results we'd like to see.”

“…”

Hwang Jeong-Hu squeezed his eyes shut as the thought of, ‘Gee, whiz! Now that is freaking creepy!’ wormed its way into his brain.

He even began wondering if he had left behind an illegitimate son with some woman somewhere! However, no matter how many times he combed through his memories, he couldn't remember making a mistake like that!

Back in the day, it was 'normal' for the head of a massive corporation to have one or two side chicks to release some pent-up steam. However, that wasn't the case for Hwang Jeong-Hu. He only had eyes for his wife.

Even so, what if he had drunk himself to stupor one day and blacked out, then committed the mistake…?

‘What the hell? What am I even thinking about here?!’

How could Hwang Jeong-Hu's thoughts derail this much when the dude before his eyes already had a father!

Still, Hwang Jeong-Hu’s confusion was understandable. Kang Jin-Ho’s words echoed his thoughts so eerily well, after all!

“Well, uh…” Hwang Jeong-Hu tried to think of a suitable excuse, his lips opening and shutting a couple of times. In the end, though… He simply clamped his mouth shut altogether.

‘No, wait. This isn’t the right way.’

He decided to reverse the roles. Since Kang Jin-Ho was thinking and acting similarly to Hwang Jeong-Hu, didn't that imply the replies should also be what Hwang Jeong-Hu would've wanted to hear? So, what should be the best response in this situation?

“Mm, well…”

Hwang Jeong-Hu had finally figured out the best answer, but his lips didn't want to part that easily. In the end, though, he squeezed his eyes shut and forced his mouth to work as intended.

“I will get it done as soon as possible. I’ll give it my all.”

“Thank you, Chairman,” Kang Jin-Ho nodded while grinning in satisfaction.

Even though Hwang Jeong-Hu had managed to save his skin, this inexplicable shame still washed over him.

‘Why did I stupidly say yes to this whole thing?’

Of course, it wasn't as if he hated this work. Truth be told, he felt his passion and vitality return to him as he dug deeper into this work, knowing people genuinely needed his help this time. Exactly as Kang Jin-Ho had predicted, in other words!

So, the work itself proved quite rewarding for Hwang Jeong-Hu. Even so…

When Hwang Jeong-Hu thought about it, wasn't he doing all the work that Kang Jin-Ho should be doing as the foundation's boss?! To make matters worse, he was planning to install Hwang Jeong-Hu as the foundation's chairperson, too!

Hwang Jeong-Hu fell for the sweet words of how his fame was absolutely indispensable in turning the foundation into a success story. Plus, Kang Jin-Ho even said how useless he was in these sorts of things, too. Which only enticed Hwang Jeong-Hu even more back then.

Now that Hwang Jeong-Hu had the time to reflect on his choice, though… Wasn't that basically Kang Jin-Ho dumping all the "annoying" work on Hwang Jeong-Hu's shoulders but still wanting to have full control of the foundation?!

Once a warped thought slipped inside Hwang Jeong-Hu's mind, everything began looking a little suspect to him.

It was Hwang Jeong-Hu and Jo Gyu-Min who did the bulk of the work, but when he looked back… Kang Jin-Ho enjoyed all the fruits of their labor! And this situation devolved to a remarkable point where Hwang Jeong-Hu was actually making a report to Kang Jin-Ho!

‘Huh? How on Earth…?’

Hwang Jeong-Hu was forced to seriously contemplate just where everything started going wrong.

“I know it’s not easy,” said Kang Jin-Ho, breaking the uncomfortable silence without any warning.

“Mm?” Hwang Jeong-Hu sobered up and stared at Kang Jin-Ho.

“I've thought about several things while staying in the orphanage recently. Things like how much I should help them with. Where should I draw the line? And will my financial assistance have a positive influence on the orphans?”

Hwang Jeong-Hu grew intrigued by what Kang Jin-Ho was saying and silently listened.

“And will the orphans growing up with my help be able to acclimatize without any assistance after being thrown into the world of adults? If not, what should I do to help them become more independent?”

“Huh. Huhuhuh…” Hwang Jeong-Hu chuckled hollowly.

Anyone hoping to set up a welfare foundation should've already thought about such things. So, why was it so shocking to learn that Kang Jin-Ho actually racked his brain on stuff like that?

Kang Jin-Ho was the type of man who looked at the bigger picture and didn’t really pay attention to finer details. Even then, he still took his time asking these questions to himself.

It could only mean Kang Jin-Ho no longer wished to remain as the person who simply ordered others around.

Kang Jin-Ho continued to speak. “I've realized making decisions and mediating on everything is not easy. Administrative issues should be a cakewalk in comparison.”

Hwang Jeong-Hu smirked a little. “Yes, so you know.”

“I've recently learned that my brain's job is to think.”

“Hahaha!” Hwang Jeong-Hu laughed while shaking his head. This was why he couldn’t hate Kang Jin-Ho.

“Now that I’ve learned how challenging it is, I can only express my gratitude to you for readily agreeing to take on this job, Chairman. Once more, I…”

When Kang Jin-Ho bowed his head, Hwang Jeong-Hu urgently waved his hand.

“No, it's fine! Stop! I'm not doing this for gratitude from you, you know!”

“Even so…”

“I'm telling you, it's fine! Do I look like a guy who'd get hung up on stuff like that?”

Kang Jin-Ho chuckled gently at Hwang Jeong-Hu’s obvious fluster.

‘What the hell. This isn’t it…’

Hwang Jeong-Hu instinctively realized something wasn’t quite right when he saw Kang Jin-Ho’s grin. According to the original script, Hwang Jeong-Hu should be the one throwing a tantrum here, while Kang Jin-Ho should be sweating buckets, but this…

‘Wait, did I just get played?'

With the situation as it was, expressing any dissatisfaction became so much harder to do. Hwang Jeong-Hu absentmindedly smacked his lips and thought of a way to re-direct the conversation in his favor, but Kang Jin-Ho didn’t give him a chance.

Kang Jin-Ho glanced at Jo Gyu-Min. “Chief Jo. I know you've also been working quite hard on this.”

“Thank you for saying that. It's kinda uncool to bring it up myself, but yes... It's been really tough for me, you see? And there was that aquarium incident, too.”

“I’m sure that’s the case. I know I should treat you to a good meal, at least…”

“Ehheii~! I wasn’t expecting anything in return while doing all this work, Mister Jin-Ho. Still, I’ll be happy if you remember how hard I’ve been working on this project.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t forget.”

“Ehehehe.”

While listening to this banter, veins began bulging on Hwang Jeong-Hu’s forehead.

‘That… That treacherous punk!’

Even though he should be demanding recognition for the work right now! Yes, Hwang Jeong-Hu should have!

Contrary to what people thought, demanding recognition was not a bad thing. In fact, one should demand it without hesitation as it was one of the quickest ways to let others know how punishing the work had been.

But Hwang Jeong-Hu suavely brushed his chance aside like an idiot! Meanwhile, that crafty Jo Gyu-Min was busy basking in Kang Jin-Ho’s recognition!

“W-wait a minute, I…”

“...Oh!”

Just before Hwang Jeong-Hu could say something, Kang Jin-Ho suddenly shifted his attention back to him.

“Chairman! Did you obtain all the necessary permits?”

“Y-yeah.”

“But, mm… From what I hear, you need a license to operate an orphanage or a welfare organization. However, do you think you can get it, Chairman?”

“Oh, that. Mm, well…” Hwang Jeong-Hu was caught off-guard again and stuttered slightly. That gave Jo Gyu-Min a chance to butt in rather enthusiastically.

“Fufufu~! Please don't forget what I'm capable of, Mister Jin-Ho. I've already taken care of it. Yes, you do need a social worker license to launch and operate a welfare foundation. However, we can't ask Chairman Hwang to pick up a textbook now. That's why I've decided to take a bit of a shortcut.”

“A shortcut, you say?”

“Yes. We can solve that problem by splitting the foundation into two, then register the actual welfare foundation as the subsidiary of the other.”

“...Eh?” Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head this way and that. He couldn’t understand what Jo Gyu-Min said just now.

“Don’t worry, Mister Jin-Ho. Just know that it’s been sorted. We are no doubt bending the rules a bit, but the government will look the other way since it’s done with good intentions.”

“I'm relieved to hear that, then,” said Kang Jin-Ho with a casual shrug of his shoulders.

However, that explanation left Hwang Jeong-Hu in stupefaction, and he silently stared at Jo Gyu-Min. Why did it feel like the tiger cub he had inadvertently raised wasn’t Kang Jin-Ho but Jo Gyu-Min?

“Oh, and Mister Jin-Ho? There’s something else I’d like to speak to you about,” said Jo Gyu-Min.

“Yes?”

Jo Gyu-Min briefly sucked in a deep breath. “We need someone to handle the foundation’s operation. There is the option of me taking it on, but let me be honest with you. I don’t have the leeway to do that job as well. If you tell me to do it, then I probably will, but… But that’s only going to divide my focus and lower my productivity overall.”

“Mm…!” Kang Jin-Ho slowly nodded.

Even he had to admit that Jo Gyu-Min operating the foundation as the manager would be too much of a workload for one man. Even Hwang Jeong-Hu would find it too taxing to handle all the administrative work, so it was fine for him to lend his name to the foundation and help with the decision-making process now and then.

“I can’t think of anyone around me who can take on that role, though…” Kang Jin-Ho frowned slightly.

“There is someone who is a perfect candidate.”

“Really?”

Jo Gyu-Min nodded weightily. “It won’t be difficult to operate the foundation after installing this candidate in the manager’s position. Although the candidate’s age could be an issue, we have plenty of older, wiser people to rein the proceedings in if things get out of hand, now don’t we?”

“Well, if you say so…”

“What we are looking for is a person who'd not hesitate to roll their sleeves up and get to the thick of things. As long as the candidate is overflowing with passion and possesses enough experience… Oh, and is also prepared to work harder than anyone! That's all we can ask for, isn't it?”

What an obvious thing to say that was.

Since Jo Gyu-Min was saying all this beat-around-the-bush stuff, it could only mean he had already set his sights firmly on this mystery candidate. In that case, why was he still trying to convince Kang Jin-Ho?

“So, let me repeat myself, Mister Jin-Ho. In my honest opinion, this candidate is just about perfect.”

“I see. Then, what’s the issue? You can always just hire this candidate, yes?”

That was when Jo Gyu-Min’s expression grew a bit weird. “Yes, Mister Jin-Ho. I could’ve just hired this candidate and be done with it. However, your permission is necessary before we can proceed.”

This time, it was Kang Jin-Ho's expression that grew weird. “Someone who knows a lot about this field, and… I need to give my permission first, you say? That's the candidate…?”

A face popped up in Kang Jin-Ho’s mind, which prompted a sigh to leak out of his mouth. Jo Gyu-Min must be talking about this person.

“I agree that the candidate you’re thinking of fits the role pretty well, but…”

“...But?”

“Don’t you think there are several real-world issues to consider first? First of all, to run a welfare foundation, the candidate’s young age might be a…”

“Age won't be an issue. As I've explained to you just now, we have enough people to provide assistance when necessary. To be honest, you need passion more than administrative ability to run a foundation. If the person with a high position works hard, the rest will have no choice but to work just as hard, you see?”

“Isn’t that a little… unconventional?”

Jo Gyu-Min smirked. “I know. However, isn’t that how Jaegyeong operates?”

Kang Jin-Ho and Hwang Jeong-Hu slowly nodded. Jo Gyu-Min had a point. Doing things this way was how Jaegyeong operated. And it was also Kang Jin-Ho's preferred method.

“Very well. Age is not an issue, then. What about experience in the field, though?”

“If everyone is looking for experienced candidates only, where will the interns get their workplace experience?”

Jo Gyu-Min had a point on this topic, too.

Kang Jin-Ho frowned again. “Even so… The candidate already has a job, no?”

“I’m pretty sure that job isn’t important enough to stop the candidate from switching the workplace, Mister Jin-Ho.”

“Mm…!”

“Joining us will be the better career move in consideration of the future. After all, you can acquire various experiences working in the foundation, plus you’ll get a chance to sit down and map out the trajectory of the rest of your life, too.”

“Well, yes. You're right about all those things, but…” Kang Jin-Ho resolutely shook his head. “I'm in favor of having him join us in consideration of his future. But pursuing one's dream is just as important in my opinion. I do not wish to drag in a friend of mine when he's already walking perfectly fine on his chosen path. I'd say this matter is something to be discussed at a later stage in our lives.”

“I’m sorry?” Jo Gyu-Min tilted his head. “Pursuing dream? What do you mean?”

Jo Gyu-Min's confused question led Kang Jin-Ho to also tilt his head. Why did it sound like there's been a misunderstanding here?

“Mister Jin-Ho? What dream are you talking about? It’s not like this is a dream job, so…”

When Jo Gyu-Min said that, Kang Jin-Ho became almost convinced it was a misunderstanding. So, he cautiously asked to make sure. “Aren't you… talking about Yu-Min until now?”

“Yu-Min? Mister Park Yu-Min?”

“...Yes, him.”

Jo Gyu-Min looked surprised, nay, dismayed, by that question. “Why would Mister Yu-Min work for our foundation? He’s not even a Jaegyeong employee, anyway.”

“…?”

Then, who was Jo Gyu-Min talking about?

Jo Gyu-Min noticed the confusion on Kang Jin-Ho’s face and smirked smoothly before raising his voice. “The candidate in my mind is…”

Kang Jin-Ho’s jaw reflexively fell after Jo Gyu-Min revealed who the candidate was.

‘Oh…? Really? Huh?’

Kang Jin-Ho blinked his eyes. “That was also a possibility?”

He wasn’t quite sure what to make of this surprising revelation.