Chapter 128. Carrying a Tiger(?) on My Back...
Chapter 128. Carrying a Tiger(?) on My Back...
Anyone could see that the reporter's question was brimming with a desire to stir up trouble.
After all, there was nothing quite as dopamine-inducing as stories about other people's love lives (?).
Especially if it involved the Unknown Hunter, whose stock was currently skyrocketing.
[ Author: Anonymous ]
[ Title: So are the three of you dating? ]
[ Content: (Song Hoon picture) Do you really have to take everything to feel satisfied! ]
↳ What kind of nonsense was this again
↳ OP: I said the girl even said she'd bear his child, but you still say no?
↳ No, you idiot, do you think the Saintess would allow that lololol
↳ OP: What did that mean? Were the two of them dating?
↳ ?
↳ OP: ?
↳ What's with this guy again lololol
The romance between Laila and Song Hoon.
Neither of them had ever officially stated anything about it on stream.
[ Author: Anonymous ]
[ Title: Newbies, did you seriously not know they were dating? ]
[ Content: You've seriously OD'd on the red pill lololol. A guy and a girl live together, and even their first stream was together. How can you not know? ]
↳ Fuck, my Saintess!!!
↳ Why was the Saintess *your* Saintess, you motherfucker
↳ No but my bro-juice seeped out, fuck!!!
↳ ?
↳ ?
↳ Take a shower, for fuck's sake
Song Hoon always seemed to attract controversy.
Whenever his Nutube channel was active or articles about him surfaced, an influx of newcomers followed.
[ Author: Anonymous ]
[ Title: Fact is, the Saintess never once caused our bro-juice to seep ]
[ Content: Our bro-juice just emerged on its own because of her looks... ]
↳ I literally read this post and ripped my clothes off in all four cardinal directions while slamming the upvote
↳ OP: Why rip them, you fuck;;
↳ It's true though, she never acted to provoke it or gave any openings lol
↳ Anonymous Yeah, we just saw the Hero getting jealous when he looked at other women and felt pleased on our own
And Song Hoon was watching this situation unfold.
He felt relieved.
'Thankfully, no one's linking Serenia to me...'
If anything, they were angry, not trying to tie him and Serenia together.
'But... they pretty much know everything, huh?'
About his romance with Laila.
They weren't exactly hiding it.
They just kept quiet because there was no real reason to announce it.
"Hero, what are you looking at~?"
As I sat silently on the sofa staring at my phone, Laila approached from behind.
She gently wrapped her arms around me and buried her face in my shoulder.
"Want to see this?"
"Hmm?"
The stories other people were gossiping about endlessly regarding his and Laila's relationship.
"Hehe, our fans... keep talking about the Queen..."
In an instant, Laila's eyes grew cold.
"La-Laila... how about we go on a date? It's been a while?"
Feeling the fear of being crushed, I quickly changed the subject.
Just then, the phone rang.
- Hero, before engaging in diplomacy with the people of Earth, I wish to see the sights of Earth... Would that be alright?
---
Republic of Korea Ministry of Foreign Affairs, conference room inside the government complex.
This place was no longer just a simple meeting hall.
"They say nearly everyone has arrived."
"..."
The Republic of Korea was, at this moment, busier than it had ever been.
No, it had no choice but to be busy.
'The only Unknown Hunter who could freely enter and exit the Underwater Gate.'
The fact that these beings held Korean nationality had changed every aspect of the situation.
"Hmm... and the Unknown Hunters?"
"They don't seem displeased, nor do they seem to care much."
Nations wishing to conduct diplomacy with the newly discovered civilization were heading to Korea.
In this situation, the Republic of Korea was attempting a precarious tightrope walk.
"Since they might find it annoying... don't make any unreasonable demands."
"Yes, understood."
They had decided to try riding on the back of the tiger known as Song Hoon.
Of course, it was more like clinging to the whiskers of a dragon rather than a tiger...
"We haven't even asked them to do anything for us, yet the whole world is scrambling to bring gifts packed high. Isn't that hilarious?"
"..."
"We just get to read their proposals and simply decide."
It was a truly absurd situation.
Who would have thought the day would come when the Republic of Korea could act this boldly?
And among all of them, the most noticeable change was China.
They had been at odds with us until just recently, but for this occasion, they had bowed their heads.
Though, of course, it wasn't a complete bow.
"They said they'll bury the Forbidden City Incident for now...? Really..."
"The world has changed... and they're still clinging to their pride?"
From the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the National Intelligence Service, the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, and even the Ministry of National Defense...
High-ranking officials were entering the conference room.
They were preparing for the foreign delegations they would soon meet.
"Haha, it's been a while."
"Indeed."
As they exchanged greetings, their expressions held a sense of confidence and composure they had never experienced before.
"They'll be entering soon!"
At an aide's words, the high-ranking officials all checked their attire and took their seats.
Soon after, the foreign delegations began to enter the inner meeting hall, one after another, accompanied by their advisors.
Most were at the ministerial level, or special envoys of the president.
Normally, a single word from them would have us holding our breath, but...
'What? So what?'
At least in this meeting, they acted boldly.
The looks the foreign representatives gave the bold Korean officials were uniformly pleading and persuasive.
"We understand that the Republic of Korea's government is already planning a joint resource exploration project."
The American representative cautiously opened his mouth.
He slid the documents forward slightly and cleared his throat.
"The necessary deep-sea drone technology, exploration reconnaissance satellite systems, and unmanned marine construction technology... we will provide all of it from our side."
He paused for a moment, then took a deep breath and added his true intention.
"In return, if you could allocate just a portion of the joint drilling rights... we will place no restrictions on cooperation."
Starting with the United States, various nations spoke up competitively.
France appealed by handing over a USB containing promotional materials for its leading companies,
China emphasized deep-sea structure construction and an overwhelming provision of manpower,
Germany approached with technology and finance.
It was an 'appropriate' level of negotiation, not strange at all.
But the Republic of Korea decided to be a little greedier.
"Hmm... we are..."
It was then.
─ Knock, knock!
The conference room door opened, and a working-level official hurriedly rushed in.
Everyone's gaze turned at once.
Some even frowned.
"Even if it's an unofficial meeting, in such a crucial setting...!"
The Korean high-ranking official who was about to speak checked the newcomer's expression.
A desperate, urgent face.
Catching his breath, he immediately whispered cautiously into the official's ear.
"Right now... Hunter Song Hoon... is said to be on his way here."
He glanced subtly at the foreign representatives.
And then he spoke, deliberately loud enough for them to hear.
"What? The Unknown Hunter is...!?"
He asked for the others' understanding.
"If you'll excuse me, I will personally go and escort him in."
No one objected.
No, they couldn't.
But a subtle spasm flickered across their expressions.
'He's coming personally...? Hah...'
'Damn it... Korea was much easier to negotiate with than Song Hoon...'
'We'll have to revise our plans...'
From their perspective, Korea was much more manageable to negotiate with than the Unknown Hunter.
He could sit at the negotiation table, or he could kick the table away entirely.
The mere fact of having to speak with him directly was a burden to them.
'No... even just sitting and listening to him was a burden...'
On the other hand, the expressions of the Korean delegation were different.
'Trying to get something for free...'
They might be greedy, but they weren't avaricious.
They constantly reminded themselves not to cross the line while riding on Song Hoon's back.
'These proposals were no different from usual.'
─ Step, step.
The sound of footsteps came from outside.
Naturally, everyone straightened their backs and checked their attire.
Song Hoon arrived in what anyone could see was a comfortable outfit.
But the moment he stepped into the conference room, the large space fell silent.
"Oh? Ah... you were in the middle of an important discussion. I'll come back later then..."
Looking slightly embarrassed, he trailed off and turned around to leave.
And simultaneously, the thoughts of the international representatives were entirely identical.
'Please... leave! Please!'
'It's uncomfortable if you sit here right now!'
'If that guy sits here, our influence weakens...!'
Conversely, the Korean officials in the conference room exchanged glances.
Then one person squeezed his eyes shut and took responsibility as the representative.
"Haha, it's perfectly fine, Unknown Hunter. We were just discussing cooperation plans with the Underwater Kingdom."
"Ah, really?"
"Since you are the hunter who personally entered that place, it's more than meaningful to have you here with us."
At those words, his gaze swept around the conference table, brushing past the faces of the international representatives.
It wasn't a provocation, but a silent pressure.
'Now, who would dare object in this situation?'
No one did.
No one could even dare to show a hint of displeasure.
"Then, I'll just listen in for a bit to see what you're discussing."
A heated debate continued for several minutes before a brief lull occurred.
While organizing documents, one of the foreign officials carefully turned his head toward Song Hoon.
"Unknown Hunter... if you've come all this way, might there be a specific matter you have?"
An extremely polite tone, and a cautious, gauging glance.
"Oh, right..."
He folded his arms and nodded.
"Serenia said she wanted to take a look around Earth."
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the international representatives subtly hardened.
'Serenia?'
'If it's Serenia, then clearly... the Queen of the Underwater Kingdom?'
'The final decision-maker of the kingdom...!'
At that single name, all attention focused on Song Hoon.
Yet, there was not even a hint of tension in his expression or his tone.