Empty House Raid (3)
“Feeling any better now?”
Go Jin-woo had been rotating his wrist in various directions when he spotted Lee Gun-san and immediately stood up.
“I’m completely fine now. It’s all thanks to you, General. I can’t thank you enough.”
Even while enduring the torture, Go Jin-woo had never truly believed he would survive.
And even if he did live, he had already given up on ever practicing medicine again.
His hands had been too badly damaged.
Yet in just a few short days, they had recovered to this extent.
“What did I do? It’s all thanks to my wife and Captain Jang.”
Captain Jang.
Go Jin-woo let out a dry chuckle at the familiar old title for Lee-hyun that he hadn’t heard in a long time.
In truth, his memories of the black market were still fragmented.
He could barely recall the sight of Lee-hyun, consumed by rage, tearing through his enemies…
“Do you hate Captain Jang?”
“Yes. I do.”
“The reason you ended up like this was…”
“It’s not because of what I suffered. What I hate is that he rushed in to save me without thinking and could have been put in danger himself. How humiliating would it have been if we’d both been captured? Especially for someone who used to be called Jet.”
Lee Gun-san laughed.
Even after the unit had been disbanded, Cheongroe remained exactly the same.
“So even though you’re fully recovered, you’re still lingering around here like this?”
Go Jin-woo glanced around awkwardly, which was very unlike him.
“Am I… making you uncomfortable…?”
“Hoho. Not at all. As you know, my wife and I never had children. So when guests like you come and stay for a few days, it livens up the house and puts us in a good mood.”
“Whew. That’s a relief. I was worried I might be imposing.”
“For someone who claims to be worried about imposing, you don’t seem to have any plans to leave anytime soon. Shouldn’t you be heading back to the hospital?”
Lee Gun-san asked with a playful smile.
Go Jin-woo scratched his cheek.
“You’re still the same as ever, General. It looks like you already know exactly what favor I’m about to ask.”
“How would I know if you don’t say it out loud?”
Go Jin-woo spent a long time roughly scratching the back of his head.
Lee Gun-san patiently waited until he had gathered his thoughts.
And then,
“I stopped by the hospital this morning and submitted my resignation.”
Go Jin-woo looked at Lee Gun-san with a serious expression.
The corners of Lee Gun-san’s mouth curled upward.
“Would it be alright if I impose on you for a while, General? Even if it’s just menial work. I’d like to help with the research and plans you’re working on.”
“Do you even know what I’m doing?”
“Isn’t it the analysis of the Snow Queen and research on the egg? Since I have a stake in both, I believe I could be of help.”
Lee Gun-san nodded.
“And?”
“I also want to assist with the Cheongroe unit restoration plan you’re preparing.”
If Jang Lee-hyun had heard this, he would have jumped out of his skin at the bombshell declaration.
But Lee Gun-san simply continued to smile.
Go Jin-woo kept speaking.
“You’ve been keeping in touch with the former members, haven’t you? Even after the unit was disbanded, most of them moved into key military positions or other units. Isn’t that right?”
Even though the Cheongroe unit had been dissolved after the Gangneung incident, not all members had been discharged.
Most of them had actually remained in service.
They had even received promotions of several ranks in recognition of their achievements.
This was precisely why, even after Lee Gun-san had taken off his uniform, he could still gather vast amounts of information and wield tremendous influence across society.
“My friend, how can you package it like that? I’m just occasionally exchanging greetings with my old subordinates. If you twist that, it becomes private militarization! Instant dismissal!”
“For someone who claims to fear such things, your bunker was awfully luxurious, General.”
“Hoho. Looks like I can’t hide anything from you.”
“Didn’t you show the bunker to Lee-hyun precisely because you wanted to reveal at least a little of that intention?”
“You’re really pushing this narrative, aren’t you?”
“If my speculation has crossed the line, I apologize.”
Go Jin-woo bowed deeply with military precision.
“But I still can’t forget it. The moment you were unfairly forced to take political responsibility and had to remove your uniform, General.”
“……”
“And all the efforts you made to protect Lee-hyun… I remember every single one of them vividly.”
Lee Gun-san quietly closed his eyes.
A brief silence followed.
“Captain Jang doesn’t know about what happened back then, does he?”
“No, he doesn’t. He only knows that you grew tired of the military and left on your own.”
“That’s fortunate.”
Lee Gun-san thought it was a good thing he had quit smoking.
Otherwise, he would have already gone through several packs by now.
“……Cheongroe was never the kind of unit that could be torn apart for such simple political reasons.”
“The great powers’ double standards aren’t exactly new, are they?”
“The real problem is the politicians who let themselves be swayed by those powers however they please.”
The conversation implied that the dissolution of Cheongroe had not been caused solely by the damage suffered during the Gangneung incident.
But the two men deliberately avoided digging any deeper.
“……Are you truly willing to help me?”
Lee Gun-san’s eyes sank deeply.
Go Jin-woo nodded.
“Of course. In fact, it will be more comfortable for you if I assist from your side, General. Because at the core of Cheongroe… is ultimately that bastard, Jang Lee-hyun.”
“That’s right. Without Captain Jang, how could it ever become Blue Jet?”
Even now, when Lee Gun-san closed his eyes, he could still see the blue-white lightning storm that had illuminated the entire world.
He had worked so hard to help him regain that form.
Yet the boy had solved everything on his own and returned.
Then and now, he was someone who never accepted help easily.
But now, Lee Gun-san truly wanted to help him.
“But are you really okay with this? You left the military because you hated it.”
“Even though I left the military, I still love Cheongroe. And besides,”
Go Jin-woo took a light breath before continuing.
“After getting rolled so hard because of Lee-hyun this time, I’ve decided I want to be the one rolling him for a change.”
“What? Bwahahaha!”
An answer he had not expected at all.
Lee Gun-san burst into roaring laughter, then nodded.
“Good. Help me well from my side.”
“It’s what I’ve been hoping for.”
Go Jin-woo politely took the hand that Lee Gun-san extended.
Subject: Jang Lee-hyun
Affiliation: Dungeon Conquest Headquarters Z-Team
Position: Temporary Team Leader
Content: Promotion
This notice informs you that the above personnel action will take effect today.
The announcement that had suddenly been posted on the intranet naturally caused quite a stir within the Dungeon Conquest Headquarters.
“Someone who’s only been here for less than a month is already a team leader…? Does that even make sense?”
“There’s no rule against it. If he was promised team leader treatment upon joining, then it’s fine.”
“Who the hell is Jang Lee-hyun anyway? I’ve never even heard of him before I started working here.”
“He solo-cleared a long-term unsolved dungeon, didn’t he? That means his skills have been acknowledged.”
“But is that skill even real? Team Leader Kim was there too, along with the other team members.”
“If it’s enough to crack Team Leader Jung’s skull, then it must be real.”
“Wow… I don’t like our current team leader either. Maybe I should crack his head and take his seat?”
Complaints about fairness occasionally mixed in with the chatter.
“Executive Director Jung’s insides must be boiling right now.”
“I heard that whenever the board meets these days, a cold wind blows through the room.”
“Well, he’s the kind of person who kept working even during his son’s four-day funeral… To me, it looks like the Vice Director is openly declaring war.”
“Exactly. She’s trying to pull Z-Team into her own faction. I can already imagine how noisy it’s going to get.”
“This time she went too far. Even though it says ‘temporary’… how does she plan to push this through?”
“Right. Executive Director Jung isn’t the type to let something like this slide easily.”
There were also voices expressing anxiety about the internal political struggle.
Then, exactly one hour later, a new notice appeared on the intranet.
Subject: Dungeon Conquest Headquarters Z-Team
Mission: Disposal of Cursed Item
Content: the curse on the dagger ‘Brutus’s Dagger’ and dispose of it.
After reading the contents, many people let out dry laughs.
“Wow, this is basically telling them to go die, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. Looks like Executive Director Jung has drawn his sword for real this time.”
“How the hell are they supposed to handle this? The entire Z-Team is going to be crying.”
“If they don’t want to do it, they should just quit.”
Brutus.
A politician and soldier of ancient Rome. The historical figure who led the assassination of Julius Caesar—who had treated him like a son—and plunged a dagger into his heart.
The dagger said to have been used by him had been excavated by White Burn two years ago.
And it had been practically abandoned ever since.
Because the dagger craved far too much blood. Especially to the point where it would harm its owner and even those around him.
It would inflict a blood-sucking curse on people nearby and steal their vitality even without being touched.
Because of this, even though the dagger had been thoroughly sealed during transport, the hunters who had participated in the escort mission ended up hospitalized for over a month.
That was why it had been rated SS.
There had been much debate within White Burn about whether to dispose of the item, but they ultimately couldn’t bring themselves to do it.
Among its effects was a buff that amplified stats in proportion to the vitality it had stolen.
Because of that, quite a few team leaders and rankers within White Burn had ambitiously challenged it,
And every single one of them ended up in the emergency room.
The buff was excellent, but hunters didn’t spend twenty-four hours a day inside dungeons.
Yet Brutus’s Dagger constantly demanded blood.
That was the problem.
In the end, it was sent to mandatory underground storage… I heard they’re now supplying it with animal blood just enough to keep the item from deteriorating.
Jang Lee-hyun struggled to suppress the smirk that kept tugging at his lips.
And that thing is being given to me?
Although the mission statement said to dispose of the curse, it essentially meant he had to carry it around until the curse was resolved.
There was no specified time limit either.
Of course, with his curse immunity, it posed no real threat to Lee-hyun,
But he didn’t show that on the surface.
“Are you really okay with this?”
“With what?”
“You’re not seriously asking because you don’t know, right?”
Kim Min-jung frowned as she listened to the murmuring voices around them.
“Because of this, none of the team members are even coming in.”
“You’re right. They’re all busy writing strategy reports, yet they’re skipping work without even reporting to the team leader. Can’t we reflect this in their performance reviews?”
Even though a long time had passed since the start of work hours, the Z-Team seats remained completely empty.
“It’s possible, but… the general attitude is that it doesn’t matter since we’ll either be kicked out or die soon anyway.”
“Is that so?”
Kim Min-jung found Lee-hyun’s nonchalant response somewhat irritating.
What exactly is he planning? He can’t possibly be unaware that all the team members were called in by Executive Director Jung…
Executive Director Jung was openly pressuring Lee-hyun.
First the Brutus’s Dagger disposal mission, and now the team members’ boycott.
In fact, while Lee-hyun had been under suspension, Executive Director Jung had personally met with every Z-Team member and tried to recruit them to his side.
He had overlooked the matter with his son and promised to look after them well in company affairs moving forward.
It was blatant factionalism.
On top of that, Lee-hyun had suddenly been appointed team leader over their heads and given the Brutus’s Dagger mission, so their attitudes had completely flipped.
Even from Kim Min-jung’s perspective, this personnel decision by Lim Won-young had been reckless.
She had wondered if they should cancel the announcement even now, but—
“Ah.”
Suddenly, Kim Min-jung realized something from Lee-hyun’s smile.
“This… wasn’t planned by Vice Director Lim, was it? It was your scheme, Senior?”
“Who knows.”
His answer was still evasive.
But Kim Min-jung was certain.
“It was you… Of course it was. I should have known. All that needless worrying I did for the past five days…”
Kim Min-jung felt that the five days she had spent anxiously fretting alone had been a complete waste.
“If you were the one who requested the team leader position… Then this is your way of cleaning house in one go, isn’t it?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Senior!”
Kim Min-jung unintentionally raised her voice.
Even though the eyes of others turned toward them, she continued glaring with fierce, axe-like eyes.
Lee-hyun let out a small chuckle and led her into an empty conference room.
“Your guess is correct. I personally asked Vice Director Lim for this.”
Five days ago, right after his meeting with Executive Director Jung, Lee-hyun had immediately called Lim Won-young.
He told her that although he had received such an offer from Executive Director Jung, he still wanted to stay with her.
And along with that, he made one additional proposal.
The fact that he made this offer to me directly shows that he’s underestimating me. With that in mind, I’d like to ask for your help in taking him down.
After hearing the full plan, Lim Won-young had felt it was absurd,
It might become a political burden for me as well… but I’ll trust Team Leader Jang and go along with it.
She had decided to push forward, trusting Lee-hyun.
And,
The result was today.
Still, I thought it would take at least a week… That person really is impatient, huh.
Thanks to that, Lee-hyun would be able to proceed with his plans faster than expected.
And I even get a nice item thanks to Executive Director Jung.
“If we’re going to clean house anyway, it’s better to do it cleanly. There’s no need for me to bear any stigma either. And I get to obtain the team leader title in the process, so it’s killing two birds with one stone.”
Kim Min-jung let out a dry laugh and shook her head.
“You’re trying to flip the entire board.”
“I realized it clearly during the last raid. The current Z-Team has far too many useless people. I plan to kick out everyone except three.”
“You were thinking about that the entire time you were suspended?”
“That’s right.”
“I’ll be one of the three who stays, so that leaves two more. Who are they?”
“Why do you assume you’ll be staying?”
“Are you going to remove me?”
When Kim Min-jung narrowed her eyes again, Lee-hyun raised both hands in surrender.
“As if. How could I manage without Jet’s right hand?”
“You say things you don’t mean so naturally… Anyway, who are the other two you’re keeping?”
“These people.”
Lee-hyun pointed at two names in order on the Z-Team organizational chart hanging on the wall.
-Seo Ae-ri, Senior Researcher.
-Eom Gi-seon, Senior Agent.
At that moment, a deep crease formed blatantly between Kim Min-jung’s brows.