#39 The Price of Truth (5)
“Where do you mean we have to go?”
In response to my words, Nam Juhyeon recoiled with a face full of terror. Even after seeing me for several days, she was still this scared? In a way, that was impressive.
“Still, I can’t just send you off alone to that person.”
Nam Juhyeon was an unawakened civilian. Having spent her life glued to a desk, her stamina was even worse than the average person’s, and her combat ability was naturally rock bottom.
I couldn’t send someone like that to face the mad dog Do Chae-hee by herself. Since the opponent was Do Chae-hee, options like me going along or assigning some of my people were off the table. That left only one choice.
I tapped my mask, shifting my face. It was the one I’d shown people inside Serena’s Ice Palace. Nam Juhyeon screamed at my instantly changed appearance.
“I-I didn’t see it! I didn’t see your face at all!”
“Doesn’t matter. This isn’t my real face anyway.”
“Huh?”
Did she seriously think she’d drop dead if she saw my face? Sure, if my identity as Kang Ishin got exposed, I might consider it, but I’d try handling it with my lie talent first. I had no intention of just wiping her out outright!
━But you are thinking of wiping her out at some point.
Nam Juhyeon plopped down right there, staring at me in shock at my explanation.
“Not your real face?”
“A fake generated by hologram. From now on, my identity’s a secret at the place we’re going.”
“Suddenly so formal?”
“I told you. I’m keeping my identity hidden.”
Geum Doctor might know, but Lee Hyewon didn’t. Lee Hyewon was Jin Yeonhwa’s person. She was with us now due to circumstances, but once things improved, she’d go back.
I had to prevent any info leaking that way as much as possible. I’d specially asked Geum Doctor to be careful about it.
“From now on, we’re a team gathered to take down Assemblyman Kim Seongdeok.”
“Uh, okay.”
Nam Juhyeon nodded with a face like she’d gotten chills. I put her in the back seat of the car. She kept mumbling something from behind, not looking great, but she’d be fine.
When we arrived at Geum Doctor’s place, I called him out the same way as last time.
The moment he saw Nam Juhyeon standing next to me, Geum Doctor looked at me with an expression like he’d lost the will to speak.
“No way, right?”
Gazing back and forth between me and Nam Juhyeon, the crumbling Geum Doctor was in utter despair.
“Where the hell do you keep finding these women?”
His expression was so funny that I crossed my arms and stared at him. Geum Doctor twisted his body like an octopus before shouting.
“My beautiful single life in my thirties is going to shit!”
“Your house is so big—how’s one extra person ruining everything?”
“Just someone’s existence wears me out! For an introvert like me, another person existing is exhausting enough! You extroverts wouldn’t get it!”
Introvert this, extrovert that. What nonsense.
“Let’s go inside and talk first.”
During my exchange with Geum Doctor, Nam Juhyeon whispered cautiously to me.
“Um, that woman you brought before…”
The look in her eyes toward me was getting impudent.
“It’s not like that, so don’t misunderstand.”
She froze up at my curt denial. Then she started trembling and making excuses.
“M-misunderstanding? It’s a g-good misunderstanding! N-not like the rumors say you’re some evil villain or anything. The whole ‘villain’ thing the world’s buzzing about is all! Misunderstandings piling up, and uh, of course you’ve killed a ton of people! That part’s not a misunderstanding!”
Did she even realize how much worse it got the more she talked? Nam Juhyeon’s face was turning blue in real time.
━One of the articles she wrote ripped you to shreds.
And lies didn’t work on Ray with his perfect memory. Even if she thought I was a monster, I had no plans to hold it against her.
I was a murderer, a swindler, a con artist, after all.
‘Let it slide for now.’
I turned my gaze to Geum Doctor.
“So, why’d you come today? Don’t tell me you’re dumping this woman on me too?”
“No, the opposite.”
“Opposite?”
“She’s here, right?”
“Uh, yeah, she is?”
“Bring her out. I’ve got business with her.”
“Oh? Got it! I’ll fetch her right now.”
Geum Doctor’s face lit up as he vanished from his spot, soon returning with Lee Hyewon.
Lee Hyewon looked a bit surprised to see me. But that faded quickly as resentment filled her eyes toward me.
“Hello.”
“Yeah.”
“I figured you’d ditched me for good and wouldn’t come back after leaving me like that.”
Ahem. Her resentment stung! I tossed a comment at the blankly standing Geum Doctor.
“Got anything to drink? Your hospitality’s kinda lacking.”
Geum Doctor grumbled but brought out hot tea. Teacups were set before us.
In the meantime, Lee Hyewon and Nam Juhyeon eyed each other warily in silence.
“It’s pagoda tea imported from Yunnan, China. Top-grade, so drink it while the aroma’s at its peak.”
At his words, the two reluctantly sipped their tea. I took a sip too. It really was expensive—felt a bit more fragrant. Though I preferred coffee, honestly.
I set my cup down and spoke.
“Introduce yourselves. This is reporter Nam Juhyeon.”
“A reporter?”
Geum Doctor yelped in surprise. His face screamed, You brought a reporter to this mad scientist’s underground hideout? Ignoring his overreaction, I turned to Lee Hyewon.
“And this is, uh, Hunter Lee Whatever.”
“‘Lee Whatever’? If you’re gonna do it like that, maybe I should introduce myself.”
With a sigh, Lee Hyewon said,
“Lee Hyewon. And for the record, I’m a 6-star hunter.”
Lee Hyewon to Lee Hee-won? Not much value as an alias, but seeing her glaring at me, I figured shutting up was best.
“S-six, 6-star hunter!”
Nam Juhyeon gaped at her words. Even if 6-star was side-character tier that didn’t lead gate raids, civilians never crossed paths with them.
“Anyway, you gonna tell us why you’re here or not?”
With Geum Doctor’s prompt, both women turned to me. Fair enough—introductions were done, time for the real talk.
“You two should stick together for a while.”
“Huh?”
Both Nam Juhyeon and Lee Hyewon stared at me in shock. I glanced at Lee Hyewon.
“Getting sick of being cooped up here yet?”
She hadn’t wasted a single day so far. She was hiding here since she couldn’t let anyone know she’d survived, but no one would enjoy this life.
“Yeah, it’s boring. But I can’t just jump into anything.”
“Hear me out—you’ll change your mind. It’s pretty good work.”
I nodded at Nam Juhyeon, signaling her to explain.
Catching my look, she pushed up her glasses with a determined expression.
Nam Juhyeon slowly laid out the story of Bomnal Orphanage and its ties to Hyeonmu Pharma. Her reporter experience shone through; she summarized it masterfully.
Lee Hyewon listened, entranced, then clenched her fist.
“If it’s something like that, I want in. Who’d have thought Hyeonmu Pharma was behind this?”
As the right-hand woman to Sirius’s sub-guild master, she could be rotten to the core and no one would blink. But Lee Hyewon was decent, in her own way.
That’s why Jin Yeonhwa valued her too—Jin hated her own kind for various reasons.
“What do I need to do?”
“Well, first off…”
Leaving the two chatting animatedly, I stood. I tapped Geum Doctor’s shoulder as he sipped his tea and tilted my head.
“Geum Doctor, let’s talk for a sec.”
“Me?”
He lifted his round glasses.
“Why me?”
“Come on.”
This guy wouldn’t listen to words.
Dragging him to a quiet corner, I cut to the chase before he could spout nonsense.
“No matter how this plays out, it’ll flip the Korean pharma industry upside down.”
Hyeonmu Pharma wasn’t just big in Korea—it was a global powerhouse. They said its exported potions kept Korea afloat.
A scandal like this would shock the stock market.
Even if Hyeonmu didn’t fully collapse, it’d take a massive hit.
“If you’re buying stocks, now’s the time.”
“True enough.”
“Oh, and if you do, handle mine too.”
Geum Doctor’s eyes lit up at my words.
“Yes! How much?”
Money for stocks…
None.
“I gave you the info, so invest my share too.”
“What?”
Capitalist pigs taste best when fleeced.
━You use that ‘capitalist pig’ line whenever. Isn’t this just extortion?
‘What’s wrong with extorting from the rich? They’re the bad guys for wanting free premium intel!’
I shot Geum Doctor, who looked dumbfounded, a grin.
“This is all because the Silver Moon Society stiffed us on payment!”
━And because you only pick jobs that don’t pay.
I’d hustled hard, but yeah, no big paydays. Items from Serena’s Ice Palace were hot goods, couldn’t sell ’em quick.
“Speaking of, how’s the Silver Moon Society situation?”
“Mm, heard they’re almost back to normal. I only know half the story.”
They’d taken near-fatal hits from the enemy gang, delaying restart. Made sense—Suo Haozhu had wrecked most of it. Rebuilding manpower would take time.
“Anyway, tell them to pay up properly.”
I nodded.
Money’s better the more you have. Stock up while you can.
“By the way. Coming over like this from now on…”
“Did Baek Dosan tell you to keep your distance?”
Geum Doctor’s eyes widened in surprise.
Obvious. He was a curiosity ball—if it was fun, he’d do anything, and I was entertaining. No way he’d ditch me.
Sudden attitude shift? Baek Dosan’s handiwork.
“Hm, yeah. The stuff you guys pull is getting too big for even us to handle. Being linked to that Beltsmets is risky.”
“Fair. We’ll be careful. Might need your help short-term, though.”
Geum Doctor glanced around, scraping the floor with his foot. Watching this uncute thirties dude made my stomach turn.
“Still, I’ll avoid dropping by your house like this as much as possible.”
“Thanks for understanding.”
Wrapping up with Geum Doctor, I returned to Lee Hyewon and Nam Juhyeon. They’d clearly bonded in our absence—the vibe was way more relaxed.
“Alright, you two come this way.”
“Yeah, take care, everyone!”
Geum Doctor, oblivious to my plans, waved us off cheerfully. He seemed to think we were gone for good…
━When do you plan to tell him you’re dumping Nam Juhyeon on him too once this is over?
‘Let him enjoy a few days of bliss first.’
As long as I don’t visit his house anymore, right?