Chapter 78
Chapter 78
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: Rock Giant Hunt (6)
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Seo Kang-seok couldn’t wrap his head around it. So what did this man want from him? He wasn’t killing him outright, nor was he handing him over to the authorities...
“What exactly do you want, then?”
Instead of answering, Suhyun extended his finger and pointed at Seo Kang-seok.
“I’m interested in you.”
“Pardon?”
Seo Kang-seok instinctively took a step back.
“Joo Won-jun wouldn’t rate you that highly, would he?”
“...”
“Sending you on a mission like this pretty much says it all, doesn’t it? Why clam up now? Want me to toss you in jail?”
“N-No, sir.”
“I said don’t shut your mouth. I hate being ignored. So, what do you think about that?”
“There are plenty of talented people in Gaon-gil... I figured it couldn’t be helped.”
“Fair point. A hunter-turned-merc with a bit of poison know-how? Hard to stand out.”
“H-How did you...?”
Seo Kang-seok blinked in surprise. He couldn’t fathom how Suhyun knew his background. Joo Won-jun, maybe, but he was a nobody.
“Whatever you or Joo Won-jun think of you, I rate you pretty highly. Join my team, and I’ll treat you way better than being Joo Won-jun’s errand boy.”
Seo Kang-seok hesitated at the words.
“Of course, if you were the type to jump at a single offer like that, I wouldn’t have bothered saying it. Don’t worry—I’m not dragging you kicking and screaming. I only work with guys who want in.”
“I... see.”
Truth be told, Seo Kang-seok felt relieved. His situation didn’t allow him to follow along on a whim, even if it was a threat.
“Let’s just hear your side of things today.”
“Pardon?”
“Why you’re working with Joo Won-jun, what problems you’re facing, what you want. Spill it all, and I’ll let you off for today. Oh, and by the way—my guys are over there right now. Stall too long, and they’ll come looking. Then I can’t help you. If you don’t want jail, talk fast.”
Even a man carved from stone had no choice against Suhyun. In the end, Seo Kang-seok opened up.
“You have a daughter?”
It was a bit startling to hear that from a bear of a man. But considering his age, it wasn’t all that strange.
“Is that a problem?”
“No, actually, it makes sense. Go on.”
No matter how advanced technology got, there were still incurable diseases. The illness afflicting Seo Kang-seok’s daughter was one of them. Without continuously shelling out massive sums to hire healers, even survival was a long shot.
Joo Won-jun was footing that bill. But he wasn’t doing it for free—he kept meticulous records of every penny.
“Cure’s probably off the table... So it all boils down to money, huh?”
Healing powers excelled at trauma but weren’t miracle cures. They often fell short against complex internal conditions.
“Yes.”
“Even if Joo Won-jun’s loaded, he’s not dropping over ten billion on a single slave. The medical bills haven’t hit that yet, right?”
“That’s true, but...”
“Join me, and I’ll pay it all upfront. Future treatments included.”
“!!!!!!”
That was the biggest shock of the day for Seo Kang-seok. What was this guy saying?
“D-Don’t joke around.”
“I don’t joke about stuff like this. Go home, think it over. Keep crawling like a dog under a guy like Joo Won-jun, or come work for me. Decide, then reach out. Head to Uncle Jo Company headquarters, drop my name, and they’ll show you right in.”
Suhyun lowered his gun and patted Seo Kang-seok’s shoulder.
“One more bit of advice, separate from my offer: give Joo Won-jun a proper report. Don’t mention I caught you, or what we were up to. That’d be best.”
“But...”
“You want to tell him I busted you? Go ahead if you do.”
Seo Kang-seok bowed his head. Joo Won-jun definitely wasn’t the type to laugh off a screw-up like that.
“Oh, right—we still don’t know what you were after, do we? We were out hunting a rock giant.”
“Y-You can tell him that?”
“Joo Won-jun couldn’t do jack with that info anyway. That’s why I’m telling you—it’s fine. Take care. Looking forward to a good answer.”
Suhyun turned and walked away without another word.
“Wait! Please hold on!”
“?”
“Honestly, your offer... I’m not sure yet.”
“Who asked for an answer right now? Take your time and decide.”
“But I’ll never forget the mercy you’ve shown me today. Thank you!”
“...Making bold statements with a face like that? If you’re grateful, come join and pay me back in person.”
“T-That’s...”
“Kidding.”
Suhyun waved and kept walking. Seo Kang-seok stared after him, mesmerized.
‘If I can buy Seo Kang-seok with money, it’s not a penny wasted.’
Suhyun had plenty of cash anyway. What he’d earned so far was one thing, but the funds he could request from the government moving forward—and the windfall from this job—left him wondering where to spend it all.
Past or present, Suhyun was a textbook workaholic. The mercs who struck it big on Cameron Planet dove headfirst into lavish parties and debauchery, but Suhyun charged into the next job like an ascetic monk. His subordinates had to hold him back.
At least since returning to the past, he’d sworn off blind devotion without reward. Still, the work hadn’t lessened—in fact, his push for rapid growth only piled it on.
‘Spend big while I can.’
He wasn’t certain Seo Kang-seok would come. Suhyun pegged it at fifty-fifty. A sharp, profit-driven guy would jump ship immediately, but Seo Kang-seok wasn’t that type.
No matter how much better Suhyun’s offer looked, what Joo Won-jun had given him was real grace. Could he just toss that aside? He’d agonize over it.
Didn’t matter. If he came after wrestling with it, that meant he’d resolved his inner conflict. In turn, he’d show absolute loyalty.
In Suhyun’s experience, among the people he knew, only two would leap into fire on a superior’s order without hesitation. One was his old subordinate; the other was Seo Kang-seok.
“Where’d you go?”
“Guess I was wrong about something. Let’s move. The base is right ahead.”
* * *
Suhyun was dressed in a suit for the first time in ages. Jo Seung-hyun, equally sharp in his attire, sat beside him. They’d arrived at the Development Planning Bureau building.
The report of capturing the rock giant had silenced even the skeptics about Uncle Jo Company.
They’d announced the kill, handled the intel fallout, and planned for the surrounding area—but first, the Bureau wanted to lock Uncle Jo Company down tight.
“You’ve really been through it. I skimmed the report, and even that made it sound incredible...”
“One power armor half-wrecked isn’t that impressive. Speaking of—when’s the Director getting here?”
“Pardon?”
“I figured you called us today to formalize our partnership with the government going forward.”
Uncle Jo Company was already working with the government—taking mission lists, sharing some intel, getting support. But it was all temp-contract stuff. They could split or hire elsewhere anytime interests diverged.
“What do you...”
“I mean an in-house team under the Development Planning Bureau. If that’s not why we’re here, I’m honestly disappointed. We’ve proven our chops. No proper response to that...”
“N-No, you’re right. That’s exactly it. We called you to discuss an in-house team.”
Normally, they’d ask how he knew about the secret in-house teams. Choi Hyun-min, flustered, spilled the beans instead.
“And the Director will be in shortly.”
Choi Hyun-min had already lost control of the conversation. Suhyun smirked inwardly and pressed on.
“Mind filling me in on the perks before he arrives?”
He already had the gist. Joining an in-house team meant a deep bond with the government—deeper than their past cooperation.
“What about shareable intel?”
“Everything the government has, in principle.”
That was why Suhyun had gone through hell for this. Suppressing a thrill, he kept a straight face for the next question.
“‘In principle’?”
“We prioritize controlling info on rival teams. That stuff comes later. You’d have to understand...”
“Got it. If we join, we’d do the same.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
“Excluding that—info on regions you’ve surveyed, monsters faced, future expansion zones...”
“All accessible.”
“Excellent. Mind if I ask how many teams are active now?”
“You’d be the sixth if Uncle Jo Company joins.”
Five teams amid all the merc companies out there. Must’ve been picky. Big firms had tangled interests; small ones lacked the skills.
“What about non-intel perks?”
“Details in the paperwork, but first—keep this confidential. Folks in the know suspect, but these aren’t officially run teams.”
“I know.”
The funding for those teams didn’t materialize from thin air. The Bureau had deep pockets, but as a government organ, it couldn’t ignore public opinion.
“And for perks—what’re you curious about?”
“Let’s be blunt: money.”
Choi Hyun-min relaxed with a chuckle at Suhyun’s directness.
“Revenue from side finds during missions is yours untouched. If you need funds elsewhere...”
He pulled out a black electronic card.
“It’s issued under a company tied to the Bureau. No limit, but for big-ticket items, contacting us isn’t a bad idea. We can negotiate beyond cash.”
The Bureau could liquidate a few secured resources for instant cash.
“But this leaves a trail.”
“It... does.”
“Any chance for untraceable, rechargeable e-cards?”
“What for?”
“Can’t always stick to official, legal channels on the job.”
The door opened then, and Development Planning Bureau Director Lee Won-jae entered, thick stack of documents in hand. He handed them politely to Suhyun and Jo Seung-hyun before sitting.
“No need for intros, right? Overheard something fun—need black market goods?”
Only the black market fit Suhyun’s implication.
“Past support was official approvals only, but sign this, and we’ll cover unauthorized stuff too. Military-grade included.”
Lee Won-jae’s voice was upbeat, rhythmic. Suhyun suspected he’d waited outside. Choi Hyun-min softening the mood, then swooping in to speed things up—par for a Bureau Director.
“I know that. But we’re not gods—the Bureau can’t procure everything. Some items are black market exclusives.”
“Hmm... Fair. We’ll handle those separately.”
“That okay, Director?”
“No issue. If we can’t swing this, who’d work with us?”
‘They’re putting on a show.’
Untraceable e-cards weren’t hard for the Bureau. The exchange was just to prove how accommodating they were.