The Best Reward (3)
That night, someone else received the greatest reward.
Lee Yeon was drinking canned beer alone on the rooftop of the residence.
She was celebrating her BST pass. Kwon Hyeok-su had fussed about throwing a party, but she put it off until later. Tonight, she wanted to be alone in quiet reflection.
Gazing down at the streets below, Lee Yeon shouted at the top of her lungs.
"I passed! I'm getting a raise!"
She used to have such a fear of heights that she couldn't even approach the railing, but now she could peer over the edge.
It was still terrifying, but just this was a monumental step forward. Could training really overcome everything like this?
Then, a familiar voice came from behind her.
"Congratulations."
Startled, she whipped around to see Jang Cheon approaching.
"Jang Cheon?"
Seeing him filled her with joy.
"I-I passed. I'm officially a Murim person now."
She had meant to call him right away upon hearing the results, but her nerves got the better of her, and it felt right to tell him in person.
"Congratulations."
"You already congratulated me a minute ago."
"That was for the raise. This one's for passing."
"Ah, you heard that."
Lee Yeon's face flushed red.
Truth be told, financial reasons were a big motivator for becoming a Murim person.
Passing the BST meant an immediate pay bump. Among the security team's staff, Murim members received a separate martial artist allowance.
One might expect a chaebol's security team to have its own separate unit of experts, but Chairman Park In-hwan disliked the idea of a Murim organization forming within the company.
Thus, only a select few in the security team were Murim affiliates.
Anyway, with her next paycheck, she planned to buy her little brother a laptop first thing.
All college kids these days had one, but he still didn't.
She kept saying she'd get him one, but expenses always piled up, pushing it down the priority list.
And her brother, despite her telling him not to, was working part-time to help their mom.
Just wait, she thought. With my raise, big sis is buying you a beast of a laptop that runs the latest games smooth as butter!
"It's all thanks to you, Jang Cheon."
The exam had gone surprisingly well. Maybe because he'd said their energies would sync if they trained together—her tension eased, and her internal energy flowed more smoothly.
Even in the final spar, luck was on her side. It was neck-and-neck, but she stayed calm to the end.
Having watched him fight for real up close, the spar didn't rattle her as much.
"Thank you."
"I didn't do anything. This is all the result of your hard work."
She knew that wasn't true. If not for him, she wouldn't have even taken the BST.
"On the day I get my martial artist certification, I'll treat you properly."
Lee Yeon cracked open a beer and handed it to Jang Cheon.
"Haha, I'll look forward to it."
She liked his straightforwardness. He didn't treat her like "just a woman," nor did he look down on her weaker skills.
When they partnered up, he must have felt the burden of protecting her, yet he'd never shown it.
She'd even asked why he was so good to her. Now she understood.
He's strong.
Because he was truly powerful, all those worries meant nothing.
Because he was so strong, he put others at ease. That's how he could be this refreshingly honest.
Lee Yeon cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled toward the night sky.
"I'm gonna be straightforward too!"
"Pardon?"
"Haha, let's have a drink."
She raised her beer for a toast. Jang Cheon lifted his high and called out.
"To Lee Yeon's entry into the Murim world!"
The next morning, Jang Cheon sat in meditation, circulating his energy.
It was the same basic formula as always, yet a different circulation now.
He'd practiced Sohyeon Ilgi-gong before, but never with full commitment. Now, it was all-in.
His current attainment was 2nd Stage. The early stages were maddeningly tough.
Of course, there was a positive side. Unlike ordinary arts, this one dragged in the beginning but promised faster progress later.
Jang Cheon wasn't rushing. As always, he'd advance one step at a time.
Like all things in life, haste yielded nothing—especially in martial arts, where an eager mind only invited injury.
As he finished one cycle, his phone rang. It was Bishop.
"Boss."
"Bishop!"
"Something good happen?"
Bishop picked up on Jang Cheon's mood from that single word. Indeed, his spirits had been high since yesterday. Jang Cheon answered honestly.
"I found a clue to advancing my martial arts."
"Whoa! Congratulations! Also kinda shocking."
"Why?"
"That your skills can improve even more from where you're at."
He couldn't put the profundity of the martial world into words, but this analogy worked.
"Bishop, you still studying programming and hacking?"
"Of course. The field's changing daily. Slack off for a second and... ah!"
"Exactly."
"Comparing my pathetic computer skills to your martial prowess is ridiculous, but I get it."
Coming from Bishop, that was excessive humility.
"Boss, the satellite imagery from BST exam day will take a few more days to process. Too many people, plus cross-referencing."
"Got it."
"And that drone serial number you sent. Maker's Flying Martin—300 units sold so far."
Of those, 27 went to Korea: government, defense firms, research institutes. Yours matches one bought by
Guardian Camp."
"What do they do?"
"VIP protection firm. Top three in Korea. We'll be competing with them soon via SGC."
"Either they were just hired for surveillance, or Guardian Camp itself is enemy-owned."
"Yes."
"Dig into Guardian Camp properly."
"Got it. Oh, seen the SGC articles?"
"Yeah."
"Talks with the Korean government are smooth. Media noise is within expectations. We should establish the branch without major issues."
Night got things done impeccably.
"Once this is over, force him on vacation."
"Probably. But first, let's all grab drinks."
"Yes. Feels like forever. Everyone's so busy—we barely see faces. Definitely, Boss."
"Okay."
A man passed through airport security.
"Occupation?"
"Theater actor."
He had an ordinary look, utterly non-threatening.
"Purpose of visit?"
"A performance."
His passport and documents checked out fine. Stamp! He breezed through immigration.
He was Actor.
A car waited outside. Greeting him was Korea Branch 1 Chief Yang Ik-hyeon.
Korea had three branches; Branch 1 was the hub. The others were mere outposts.
"Welcome, Actor."
"Long time, Chief Yang."
They used formal speech. Yang's rank was higher, but Actor held real power in the organization.
Yang drove and asked,
"Performance date set?"
"No. Need to cast actors first."
Yang asked cautiously,
"Audition partner?"
"Dae Jeong San Jang."
Yang was stunned.
"One of the two great sects?"
"Yes."
Yang tensed inwardly. Things had accelerated since Geom-myeong's Im Yeon-sin was killed.
Actor coming to Korea was one thing, but now a major sect like Dae Jeong San Jang was in play.
Then Actor's phone rang. It was the fedora superior.
"Yes, it's me. Just landed, met Chief Yang."
"Approval from above. Death will head in after his job."
"Thank you, Headquarters Chief."
"No failure with Death involved."
"Yes."
Actor hung up, beaming.
"Just cast our lead actor."
Leaning back, he added,
"Now, let's gather fitting supporting cast."
Jang Cheon visited Chairman Park In-hwan with Park Gwang-cheol.
"HT Group is now clear of this mess. The secret investment with the Murim Alliance leader is fully canceled."
With Cheon Myeong-jin and the Alliance back to normal, HT was out of harm's way.
Park In-hwan smiled broadly.
"Truly grateful."
Step by step, they'd pulled back—now completely free. All thanks to Jang Cheon.
"You saved me, my family, and the whole group."
"You're too kind."
Plus, they saved the 500 billion that would've gone to the Alliance leader.
Hong Tae-sik bowed deeply from behind.
"Thank you."
He could be rash at times, but his loyalty to the chairman was genuine.
"No need. Your support and Team 3's made wrapping this up easier."
Hong felt guilty—Team 3 was assigned to watch Jang Cheon.
He bowed again; Jang Cheon nodded understandingly.
Park In-hwan eyed his youngest son, his expression asking why he'd brought him. Jang Cheon explained the kid had refused to stay behind.
"In solving this, Park Enter's CEO here contributed the most."
He emphasized "most."
Park In-hwan looked at Park Gwang-cheol in surprise, incredulous. The man himself was shocked Jang Cheon would praise him so.
So that's why he'd dragged him along.
"He risked danger for you, Chairman. Your second son showed great courage too, but right to the end, the one who stepped up biggest was CEO Park here."
Park Gwang-cheol fidgeted, unsure where to look. He hadn't come seeking praise; it flustered him.
After a moment, Park In-hwan smiled contentedly.
"Looks like you've finally grown some steel."
Park Gwang-cheol's chest tightened, heat rising.
His life had been one screw-up after another, always getting scolded.
Today, for the first time, his father praised him.
"The steel was there from birth. It's in the name."
Park In-hwan burst into laughter at the corny joke.
"Hahaha!"
It had been ages since the youngest made him laugh like that.
Both father and son savored their greatest reward.
In the parking lot before parting, Park Gwang-cheol said,
"Jang Cheon."
"Yeah?"
"Thanks. Feels like I was reborn because of you."
"Don't buy that feeling too much."
"What? Why?"
"It's just emotion right now. Feels like everything's changed, like you'll stay that way forever. But you've lived 36 years differently. Can't ignore that inertia."
Park Gwang-cheol raised his voice.
"Spit it out plain! You're saying a dog's hooked on shit, right? Yeah?"
"That wrong?"
He should've yelled no, but Park Gwang-cheol fell silent.
Then Jang Cheon softened a bit.
"That hesitation just now, that shitty feeling—never forget it. I'm heading out."
Jang Cheon drove off.
Park Gwang-cheol stared blankly, then shook his head.
"Ah, damn it!"
Stabbed right in the heart and left hanging again.
Yet it didn't feel bad. If anything, grateful. This brutally honest advice was new to him.
At the same time, a sense of crisis hit.
He could quit the shit with effort—but what if he couldn't quit Jang Cheon?