A Hundred Billion Deal
“No, you mean... my company?”
Kang Mancheol froze, his mind buffering as if he couldn't process the words.
“Yes. Has any other company been mentioned in this conversation? Is your head not working right, Mr. Kang Mancheol?”
Choi Yunmi spoke to him like a subordinate. She wouldn't usually go that far, but she'd already heard about his misdeeds. Her poor opinion of him was palpable.
“Are you... joking...?”
Kang Mancheol's facial muscles stiffened.
“Joking?” I said. “Do I look like I'm joking in front of you right now?”
“Eek!”
Kang Mancheol scrambled off his chair and prostrated himself on the floor.
“P-please spare me!”
I hadn't even released any mana, but it seemed even this much pressure felt like killing intent to an ordinary person.
“Who said anything about killing you? I said I want to buy your company.”
“A-anything but that! Kill me instead! That's the company I built!”
“We know exactly how you built it,” said Kim Se-in, who'd been silent until now. “I experienced it firsthand.”
Kang Mancheol lifted his head. Tears streamed from his eyes, and snot dripped from his nose.
“Sniff!”
He wiped his face once, then lunged to grab Kim Se-in's leg. She swiftly pulled her foot away.
“Spare me! We're not strangers! How well have I treated you, Hunter?”
“Tch!”
Kim Se-in thrust her retracted foot forward. Smack! A sharp sound rang out, and Kang Mancheol clutched his face, rolling backward.
“Aghh!”
“Coming out of your mouth! Yeonju... Yeonju died because of you...”
Kim Se-in's clenched fist trembled. The Yeonju she mentioned was probably her deceased friend's name.
Kang Mancheol checked his broken teeth, then quickly flattened himself on the floor again.
“Why bring her up? I regret Hunter Kim Yeonju's tragic accident too! You don't think I had anything to do with her death, do you? This is unfair! I'm innocent!!”
Kang Mancheol wailed pathetically. His acting was so poor that even a stranger could tell he was lying. His earlier tears over the company sale had seemed far more genuine.
“Mr. Kang Mancheol.”
I was done watching this farce. I wasn't going to kill him here, so the best move was to wrap this up without seeing his ugly face any longer.
“Yes! Yes, Hunter!!”
“Sell the company. Talking more will just hurt my mouth. Or should I send you to prison? You might never get out.”
“Aaaah...”
Kang Mancheol gaped vacantly, his pupils darting wildly. His whole body shook—he clearly hated handing over the company.
Choi Yunmi was right; for a guy like this, taking his money was the best punishment. After about ten seconds of stunned gaping, he sighed as if resigned to his fate.
“Haaa...”
He looked up, determined. “How much... are you offering?”
Choi Yunmi stepped in at the perfect moment.
“We'll give you 100 billion. Including all the equipment, technology, and employees as-is.”
“Whaaat?!”
Kang Mancheol's eyes bulged, as if doubting what he'd heard.
“Did you mean a trillion by mistake...?”
“100 billion is already generous. Half of that?”
“But it's worth 2 trillion on the market...”
“Don't lie. The most optimistic valuation is barely a trillion.”
“So why buy a trillion-won company for 100 billion...?”
Choi Yunmi stared him down. “Prison instead? The hunter wanted to kill you on sight, but I suggested a compromise so he wouldn't get blood on his hands. Take the 100 billion and live out your days in Thailand or wherever. It's a filthy, stinking life, but enough for a comfortable retirement, right?”
“Retirement? I'm only fifty-four...”
I stood up. “Next time, bring the contract. Sell or not, I don't care. I prefer the other options anyway.”
By “other options,” I meant prison or death.
“Aaaah...”
Kang Mancheol stared blankly at the floor.
“Now go. Don't drip your filthy tears and snot on the clean floor.”
“Aaaah...”
I left the gear shop with Kim Se-in. I made a mental note to reward Choi Yunmi once the deal closed. Buying a trillion-won company for 100 billion meant huge profits even on resale.
The question was whether Kang Mancheol would comply, but it seemed he would. Choi Yunmi was seasoned in business; she wouldn't suggest something impossible, especially with an S-rank hunter like me present.
Of course, I had no intention of letting his grudge end here. But since he was one with Puleaf Tech, it would take time to deal with him. Next up was his nephew, Kang Min—the one who'd infiltrated the guild under contract terms and caused chaos. Everyone knew he was directly responsible for killing Kim Se-in's friend and driving her toward death.
I wasn't planning to handle him indirectly like his uncle. An eye for an eye would be the perfect death for scum like him.
As we left the shop, I took Kim Se-in's hand. Her face was still hardened from anger at Kang Mancheol. She startled at my touch and looked up, her fury-flushed cheeks turning even redder.
Before killing Kang Min, there was something else to do first. Ideally, I'd let Kim Se-in handle it herself.
Sex.
Last time with her, I'd figured out mana injection during sex, but it was her first time and focused on recovery, so it hadn't optimized her growth. This time, I'd try again properly. To soothe her mind before the big event and give her the physical strength too.
Sex really is wonderful, I thought.
#
“It's all over now.”
Kang Min, seated in the guild master's chair, heard this from Kim Cheolho, one of Violet's members.
“It should have ended ages ago, but that bitch held out too long.”
“Tell me about it. What a pain. She even cleared the dungeon solo after we swapped her gear for junk. That woman's spite was no joke.”
“Fuck, we wasted money we didn't need to! Keeping those Thai girls on payroll costs a fortune.”
“But it worked, right? She's definitely dead now.”
“She'd better be! After all that cash. If she survives, she's not human.”
“Yes, yes, you're right, boss.”
Kim Cheolho ran a finger across the guild master's desk.
“Time to start the next job, right, boss?”
“Don't worry. I'll hand this guild to you and move on. Talent does the work, and some hack takes the seat. Haha!”
“Aw, a guy like me just picks up the crumbs you and the president drop. How could I even touch your grand ambitions? I'll serve you with my life, boss!”
“You sure talk smooth.”
They ended the chat and stood.
“Fuck, gotta go even if it's annoying.”
“No need to go yourself, right? Send some grunts to check.”
“Nah, this shit you do personally. Remember that when you boss the kids around. Always confirm important stuff with your own eyes.”
“As expected of you, boss. Another lesson learned today!”
Kim Cheolho bowed earnestly while flattering. Kang Min looked pleased.
“Just follow my lead. Then crumbs? You'll live like an S-rank.”
“Got it, boss!”
“Call the guys.”
“Yes!”
Kang Min was headed to the dungeon—the very one where he'd killed Kim Se-in. He thought her dead, but confirmation was needed. At least recover her clothes or gear from the corpse site. No point leaving traces.
Violet Guild, built by Kim Se-in and her friends, now had none of the originals left. Kang Min, his cronies, and late joiners like Kim Cheolho with the same goals had taken over.
Kang Min's ambitions went beyond swallowing Kim Se-in's guild. He and his uncle planned to devour many guilds, merge them into a federation, then a massive clan.
Running guilds meant profit, and it would boost Puleaf Tech too. Business on one side, guild control on the other. Kang Mancheol and Kang Min's plans were grand.