Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Incident in the Calcutta Jungle Zone (7)
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“That’s it??”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“Wow, then doesn’t that mean Persus Company has a problem?”
“Huh?”
“Hunting monsters like that, but the reward is too stingy! Especially for a team from a company the size of Jindo!”
“No, that’s not...”
“Even so, shouldn’t we at least negotiate that?”
‘What the hell is wrong with this guy?’
Choi Jae-ho was flustered. He had thrown out too much bait, and Suhyun was already getting angry about company matters he hadn’t even joined yet.
“Ah, no. Don’t worry about us. We take care of our own share.”
“What? Aren’t we supposed to get paid fairly?”
‘Oh no.’
Choi Jae-ho realized he had made a slip of the tongue. It was true that rewards varied based on participation levels, but there was no need to officially acknowledge it.
‘Doesn’t matter. Even if this guy finds out, it won’t be a big deal...’
“Of course, our team is the elite here. You can tell just by the number of power armors. Cameron Planet is a place where you get paid based on what you do.”
“I see.”
Suhyun nodded as if it were the most natural thing.
“But I still don’t get it.”
“What don’t you get?”
“I don’t understand why a company the size of Jindo would come all the way here to work. At that level, they could pick and choose employers, right? Unless Persus has some leverage over them...”
“Leverage? What leverage!”
Choi Jae-ho jumped up. His weakness was his excessive pride in his company. Even a light jab was enough to get a reaction.
“It’s all work we’ve agreed on with proper compensation.”
“Is Persus Company big enough to hire Team Leader’s team? I didn’t realize...”
“No, not that big. But we got something else in return.”
Suhyun’s eyes sharpened. Blinded by pride in his team and company, Choi Jae-ho had blurted it out without thinking.
“What’s that?”
“Uh... no. It’s nothing. Sorry, but I can’t tell you. You get it, right? We’re not working for the same place yet.”
Only at the last moment did Choi Jae-ho snap out of it. He had been talking like he was entranced. He didn’t think Suhyun would do anything with the info, but it was still something he shouldn’t reveal.
‘Cameron Redwood, was it?’
But Suhyun had already caught on. The glance toward the forest, the trailing off. That was enough to figure it out.
‘But why Cameron Redwood...?’
Cameron Redwood was expensive and relatively rare on Earth. Still, it didn’t seem worth it for a Jindo-level team to come all this way and suffer for it.
‘There must be other sources nearby...’
In any case, he now knew why the Jindo team was here. They had clearly been promised rights to some of the Cameron Redwood in the area as compensation for this job.
“Seems like I’ve done all the talking. Tell me about yourself.”
‘Time to pull back.’
He had gotten everything he wanted, no need to keep chatting.
“A person of Team Leader’s caliber is curious about me?”
“Of course.”
“Ask away!”
‘Ha. This guy. He fell for it so easily, it’s almost pitiful...’
Choi Jae-ho thought that but didn’t stop. It was already hooked prey. The fool who got duped was to blame.
‘Think of it as a good experience.’
“By the way, your team was spraying something before moving, right? Deodorizer?”
“Ah. As expected, you noticed!”
“I’ve been working here for years. I can spot that much. Persus Company product?”
“No. We have this senior... I mean, a前辈 named Kim Chang-sik. He made it himself. He brags it’s special, but honestly, I don’t know if it works.”
Suhyun grumbled like he was gossiping about his boss. But Choi Jae-ho’s eyes lit up at that.
‘So it was that guy?’
There were only one or two people in the company worth poaching. He had no intention of taking someone like Suhyun, a newbie full of baseless confidence and complaints. Instead, this Kim Chang-sik that Suhyun was badmouthing sounded like the real talent.
‘If he can blend his own, he’s definitely not ordinary.’
“You must have a tough senior. Does he hassle you about other stuff too?”
“It’s not like the army. He’s tolerable except for the nagging. How to act here, how to act there... He nags nonstop, it’s annoying as hell.”
Choi Jae-ho nodded in satisfaction. Suhyun was spilling exactly what he wanted, like he had prepared for it.
‘Uncle Jo Company’s poachee is that guy.’
“By any chance, do you know how to make that deodorizer?”
“What? No. He doesn’t tell me, and why would I bother learning that crap?”
“I see...”
Choi Jae-ho tried not to look at Suhyun with pity. It made info-gathering easy, but the guy was pathetic. His future was all too predictable.
‘Tsk tsk. Be grateful they even hired a guy like you...’
Anyway, Suhyun didn’t seem to know more. He was tempted to ask for the spray since Suhyun fell so easily, but that would cross the line. Bullets might fly from behind.
‘Once I know the key, contacting him will be easy.’
There were plenty of ways without that. Approach Kim Chang-sik directly and poach him. After this job, they’d be operating nearby for the Cameron Redwood, and that guy’s knowledge would be hugely helpful.
“Then work hard.”
“Ah, um, about joining Jindo Company...”
“Sorry, no time for that now. I’ll bring it up later.”
Of course, Choi Jae-ho had no intention of talking to Suhyun again. He turned and walked away, never imagining Suhyun was sneering at his back.
* * *
“What were you talking about with that guy?”
“Nothing much.”
“No way someone like him would just chat casually.”
Choi Jae-ho was the team leader of Jindo Team 2, and it was odd for him to approach only Suhyun while ignoring everyone else.
“By any chance, you...”
Suhyun tensed at Kim Chang-sik’s words. Had he been caught selling out his name?
“Did he scout you?!”
“...”
Suhyun shook his head, feeling deflated. The other members asked upon hearing that.
“Scout offer? What scout offer?”
“Did they scout Kim Suhyun?!”
“No, I said no. What nonsense...”
“It’s plenty possible, isn’t it?”
Choi Jae-ho hadn’t recognized Suhyun because he played the sucker, but to these team members, Suhyun was scout-worthy.
He knew the area as well as locals, and his combat skills sealed it.
“Damn, those Jindo bastards. They have plenty of talent already...”
“How many teams do those jerks have? Bragging about their size?”
“...”
Suhyun was dumbfounded watching his team suddenly burn with hostility toward Jindo.
“I said it wasn’t. He just said a few words and left...”
“That’s all groundwork.”
“Yeah. Definitely laying bait for a scout.”
“Well... for Kim Suhyun, Jindo might be better, right?”
The one who spoke was Park Su-yong, who had been silently following behind. His words made Kim Chang-sik jump.
“No, Su-yong hyung! What are you saying?! Even if you hate Suhyun...!”
“What? Did I say anything wrong? Let’s be real, we’re all here to make money. You and I have loyalty to President Jo, so it’s awkward to leave, but Kim Suhyun has none of that. So don’t make it weird for him. If you block it, he’ll feel bad after accepting a scout.”
Kim Chang-sik shut up, completely rebutted by Park Su-yong. It was true. He and Park Su-yong had ties to Jo Seung-hyun, but Suhyun didn’t.
“Still, we have some bond, so we should at least try to stop him...”
“Why stop him? You gonna pay him as much as Jindo?”
“Both of you, shut up.”
Suhyun’s voice had sunk low. They flinched and looked ahead. This was the face Suhyun made when something happened.
“What? What’s up?”
Kim Chang-sik, seeing nothing, looked around in confusion. But Suhyun was using detection magic to check spots where Calcutta Gorillas would normally be.
Habitats temporarily vacated by monsters differed from abandoned ones. Most couldn’t tell without skill, but Suhyun could.
There was definitely a Calcutta Gorilla here.
‘Gone.’
But it wasn’t there now. It wouldn’t stay put, so it must have moved somewhere.
“Tell them we’ve arrived at its habitat. And that it’s not around here.”
* * *
Hearing the report, Choi Jae-ho thought it was for the best. Better to wait at its habitat and ambush it coming back than charge in while it was there. He had no desire to get mobbed by monsters again.
“But is this really its place?”
“You can tell from the surroundings.”
Large monsters left traces just by being there. Broken branches, flattened bushes. As Suhyun had said, Lee So-hee explained the situation. Choi Jae-ho was convinced this was indeed the Calcutta Gorilla’s haunt.
‘No way Kim Chang-sik told them this too?’
He couldn’t imagine Lee So-hee knowing the area that well. He’d never gotten that vibe from her.
A power armor pilot was valuable enough; small companies made them team leaders.
Because of what Suhyun said earlier, Choi Jae-ho suspected Kim Chang-sik. When Lee So-hee consulted her team, was she actually asking him?
“Hmm...”
Choi Jae-ho decided to handle this job first, then seriously approach for contact.