Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Rewards and Changes (2)
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For now, since I'd already talked to Jo Seung-hyun, I planned to leave all Redwood-related matters to him. Jo Seung-hyun wasn't someone lacking ability. If he had been, Suhyun wouldn't have sought him out from the start.
'What I need to focus on is something else.'
The team's hierarchy had changed, so I needed to make them accept it. No matter how outstanding or capable Suhyun was, the team's atmosphere was a separate matter. As the team leader, it was his job to gauge the team's mood and keep things running smoothly without issues.
'It's been a while since I've done this.'
* * *
Even though they'd successfully completed difficult missions—ones that major companies had failed at—the mercenaries of Uncle Jo Company weren't in high spirits. It was because of the rumors circulating.
"He really got scouted?"
"Who knows, but isn't it just a matter of time? You saw it yourself. That Jindo team leader guy kept acting all chummy with him. I'd take him along too. He knows everything about Cameron Planet, and he's a superpowered user to boot."
The team members nodded at Jeong Seong-jae's words. Indeed, Choi Jae-ho's behavior during the mission had been blatant. He hadn't spoken to the other members but kept approaching Suhyun.
From the perspective of the members, who didn't know Choi Jae-ho's intentions but were aware of Suhyun's abilities to some extent, it could only look like an overt recruitment attempt.
"Quit talking nonsense."
"Ah, why do you keep butting in, Su-yong hyung? Didn't you owe Kim Suhyun one too?"
"Who said I didn't? This punk, the way you talk... Yeah, we owe him, so if he gets scouted by a good place, shouldn't we just send him off with our blessings?"
"Yeah, sure, but this is a bit... They already have a ton of people and are a big outfit—do they have to take one of our team members too?"
"Cut the crap. We're all here to make money, so if our interests align, we work together. For Kim Suhyun, joining Jindo would be way better than rolling around here."
"Ah, you're really heartless!"
"Stop bullshitting and prepare yourselves not to cling when he leaves."
Park Su-yong spun his chair around as he said that. Everyone here knew how much help they'd gotten from Kim Suhyun. The security of having someone to turn to when things got stuck or went wrong was no small comfort.
With rumors spreading that such a Kim Suhyun was getting scouted by a major company and leaving, the mood was naturally sour. No one said it out loud, but they all wanted to stop him if they could.
"Hey, everyone's supposed to gather?"
"?"
The sudden assembly order left the members baffled, but they headed outside anyway. Lee So-hee and Kim Suhyun were standing there. The moment they saw that, the members thought:
'He's really getting scouted and leaving!'
"I have something to tell you all. Regarding Kim Suhyun..."
"He got scouted?!"
"Yes?"
Lee So-hee looked at the member who spoke with the expression of someone staring at a weirdo. Sensing the odd atmosphere, the member quietly shut his mouth and lowered his head.
'What? It's not?'
'Then what is it?'
"Regarding Kim Suhyun's performance in the previous and most recent missions, there were comments that it was a waste for him to remain a regular member. After discussing it with the president, we've decided to promote Kim Suhyun to team leader."
"?!?!?!?!?!"
It was a relief it wasn't a scout, but Suhyun suddenly becoming team leader was just as shocking. The members looked flustered, unable to accept it. The only ones keeping calm were Park Su-yong and Gorgan.
Gorgan had never cared much who the team leader was, and Park Su-yong had caught on to why Kim Suhyun was being made team leader, in a certain sense.
'They could snag talent like that, and making him team leader here is a steal. And they actually got him to agree.'
To Park Su-yong, Kim Suhyun was intriguing. No matter how you looked at it, getting scouted by Jindo seemed like the better option. Staying here and working wouldn't amount to much. Of course, they wanted Suhyun to stay...
"What about Team Leader Lee So-hee?"
"I'll be working as a regular member."
"No... That's too..."
"Team Leader Kim Suhyun, the floor is yours."
Suhyun looked at Lee So-hee with renewed curiosity. As always, she was remarkably free of ambition. Not just anyone could hand over their position to someone else so casually. And then to treat them as a superior without the slightest hesitation...
Sure, a mercenary company's team leader wasn't the same as a military officer, but it was still impressive.
"Right. I figured you'd all be surprised. But it's already decided, so you need to adapt accordingly. I believe you're all mature enough to understand that."
Suhyun's demeanor was so natural it bordered on brazen. The members stared at him in disbelief. Of course, there was no need for them to act overly deferential just because Suhyun was team leader. He had the skills and qualifications. Mercenary companies ran far more on ability than the military. Even if someone was young, if they had the merit, the company had to elevate them to leadership.
But for him to show not a hint of awkwardness and act like it was the most obvious thing in the world—that was absurd.
"Former Team Leader Lee So-hee was a fine leader. She always consulted you all during operations, gathered opinions, and reached conclusions."
"Thank you."
"Of course, I won't stick to that exact method. I'm different from Lee So-hee, so my approach will naturally differ. There are a few things you'll need to keep in mind, but rather than explaining them, it's better to learn through actual combat experience—that'll stick easier... For now, remember just one thing: respect my authority. I'm warning you ahead of time—if anyone reverts to old habits and spouts nonsense during an operation, you're on your own."
He started with polite speech but ended casually. Suhyun had slipped back into his old self.
Having entered as a clueless newbie and built rapport, there was a risk of discomfort when acting as team leader. So Suhyun planned to nip that in the bud. Hammering it in from the start and rebuilding relationships was better done sooner.
They owed Suhyun and liked him, but hearing this from someone they'd seen as a junior—they weren't the type of mercenaries to stay quiet.
"You drunk or something?"
"......"
Instead of answering, Suhyun crooked his finger. Come here. Jeong Seong-jae stood up and walked forward upon the signal. He also wanted to see how Suhyun would handle it. No matter how much of an expert Suhyun was on this planet, in close-quarters combat like this, he had the edge.
Thwack!
"Guhk?!"
Jeong Seong-jae suddenly couldn't understand why the ground was in his view and face-planted. Suhyun had swept his leg, sending him spinning once. Suhyun placed his foot on Jeong Seong-jae's body, who was still dazed and clueless about what hit him, and spoke.
"Perfect. Here's a great bad example. I said not to revert to old habits and spout nonsense, and here you come right away."
"Urk!"
"Can't get your head straight? A guy who goes down from one hit—what are you doing trying to mercenary on Cameron Planet? If I were the enemy, you'd be dead already. Get up!"
As Suhyun kicked him, Jeong Seong-jae scrambled to his feet in a daze. He was already following Suhyun's orders.
"When I was just a member, it was fine to goof around all friendly. But now that I'm leading as team leader, I have zero intention of doing that. Cameron Planet isn't some place you can slack off and survive. I'll run things my way, so you all adjust to me."
The members gaped at Suhyun. They'd thought he was a meek junior, but turns out he was a wolf in sheep's clothing. They wondered why someone with this temperament had stayed so obedient without causing a single issue until now.
"Anyone got complaints?"
"......"
And no one stepped forward.
* * *
"Was that too much?"
"I'm not sure."
Suhyun was chatting with Lee So-hee as they walked. Having taken the team leader position, he needed some explanations from her.
"There's a lot to handle as team leader, and I can't keep treating you like a little brother forever... If it's uncomfortable, I can use polite speech in private."
He'd been casual with the others in private, but Lee So-hee was always polite no matter the setting. It felt a bit off to be rough with someone like that.
"Don't worry about it. Feel free to speak casually."
"Well, if you say so."
"More importantly, can I ask something else?"
"Ask away."
"Was tampering with the Black Bear because there was an issue with the Black Bear itself?"
"？！"
Suhyun was flustered for the first time. She'd seen that?
"You saw?"
"No, if you were doing it secretly, I figured there was a reason. And sure enough, the glitches decreased after that."
With mixed feelings, Suhyun ruffled his hair. He hadn't expected her to be awake then.
"Something like that. The Black Bear has been coming out lately, but development started way earlier... It's been glitchy from the beginning. It's quiet now, but it'll blow up later. No way a product made through that process comes out flawless."
"Even so, it's a power armor developed under military oversight—I doubt it'll be that bad."
"If you were in the military, you'd know. Of the things the military develops, are the sound ones more common, or the problematic ones?"
Lee So-hee couldn't respond to Suhyun's question. Military development projects were notoriously bad. There were heaps of corruption scandals that somehow got buried.
Lee So-hee found it amazing how well Suhyun knew about the military. Even if his parents were soldiers stationed on Cameron Planet, there had to be limits.
'Surely from that line of work?'
Cameron Planet had special forces and unofficial units, which were practically an open secret. Soldiers in those units had relatively free personal lives. If Kim Suhyun was the child of such people, it wouldn't be strange if he'd been wandering the planet with them since childhood. The world was vast, and eccentrics were plentiful.
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