Chapter 164
Chapter 164
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 164
Chapter Title: Return to YouQuiz
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"I'm going back on YouQuiz."
Yong-un knew exactly what Sena's words implied.
"It won't be easy."
"I know. But what if the booking's already confirmed?"
YouQuiz had accepted the offer...
Lying on the rooftop of the Ghost Killer Annihilation building, Yong-un called out quietly.
"Mu-hee."
Swish.
Mu-hee appeared out of thin air where no one had been moments before.
"What did you find out?"
"After deploying all the Night Killer Society assassins to investigate, we've confirmed that this incident was orchestrated by the newly appointed PD Park Sang-gu, Variety Director Jo Kyung, and Iron Army Guild Marketing Team Leader Park Sang-deok."
"If the PD and director were acting on orders from one of the top five guild team leaders, it's entirely plausible."
"Not only that, but we've also confirmed involvement from the head writer of the YouQuiz team, Pyo Hyun-young, and the show's editor-in-chief, Hwang In-seok."
It wasn't just one or two people.
Three from the top brass.
And two more directly handling the operation, making five in total.
The whole thing had been executed so systematically and cleanly that Yong-un had initially pegged them all as master tacticians skilled in schemes and plots.
But he retracted that thought entirely.
"I must have overestimated them."
To accept Yong-un and Sena onto YouQuiz...
Blinded by the promise of success, they'd swallowed a poison pill without a second thought—like utter small fry.
"The Armani Shopping Mall ad might have provoked them too," Mu-hee added.
Yong-un nodded at her words.
He'd heard from Jin-cheol multiple times just how massive the buzz around the Armani Shopping Mall commercial had been.
The plan hadn't hinged on reappearing on YouQuiz.
It was purely to give the mall some wings, but in the end, it had turned into a massive lure that yielded even better results.
But no matter how tempting the bait, if the fisherman casting it lacked skill, it would all amount to nothing.
Fortunately, Sena—the fisherman in question—was top-class.
"On top of that, President Sena's bold move ensured they couldn't think of anything else. It was a brilliant stroke."
Yong-un twitched an eyebrow.
Meeting his expectant gaze, Mu-hee gave a faint smile.
"She told them that if YouQuiz didn't take her, she'd go on Radio Star instead."
After getting burned by YouQuiz's vicious editing, Yong-un had studied up a lot on the real world.
"YouQuiz and Radio Star are rivals, right?"
"Yes. From YouQuiz's perspective, they had to block the Supreme One and President Sena from going to Radio Star. It was a guaranteed hit."
It was the Armani ad combined with Sena's gambit.
A YouQuiz reappearance that seemed utterly impossible.
YouQuiz had screwed Sena over before, and bringing them back risked exposing all the malicious edits from last time.
Yet they'd approved it anyway. Yong-un couldn't help but smirk.
"They're pulling out all the stops, no doubt."
"Probably. Doesn't matter."
"True, it won't. But they're sweating bullets over there. In a situation like this, the ones trying to bury the truth have to work way harder than the ones exposing it."
Yong-un nodded at Mu-hee's words.
Then he scanned Mu-hee up and down as she sat beside him.
She looked different from usual.
"Planning to do makeup every day now?"
"Don't I look pretty?"
"Stop hiding and come out."
At Yong-un's words, the Poison Witch materialized from empty space.
She was dolled up just like during the ad shoot, makeup and all. Yong-un shook his head.
"You too, huh?"
"Once I got into it... it's kinda fun... and just in case..."
Unlike her stunning looks, the Poison Witch blushed shyly.
Mu-hee approached her and said,
"Forget that guy. You saw him die."
"Sis? Even you can't cross that line."
"Lines are meant to be crossed. As your big sis, it pains me to see such a beautiful little sister pining for someone who's gone from this world."
The Poison Witch knew it deep down.
No matter how much she dressed up and revealed herself to the world...
The man she loved wouldn't come back.
That's why she didn't react much to Mu-hee's harsh words.
"Sigh..."
The Poison Witch let out a deep breath.
It was bittersweet that the pain from back then could now be joked about.
"Good."
"Huh?"
It wasn't the kind of thing to say in the moment.
But Yong-un looked straight at the Poison Witch.
"Doesn't that mean your situation's gotten better?"
Was he reading her mind?
The Poison Witch's eyes widened in surprise.
"If things were still rough for you, words like these wouldn't sound like jokes."
"Ah..."
She nodded as she listened.
He was right on every count.
Hearing him out, the distant reality that had turned into a joke felt wistful, but also fortunate.
"Thank you."
Naturally, gratitude toward Yong-un—for giving her this new life—welled up first.
Yong-un patted the Poison Witch's shoulder at her soft, bittersweet smile.
Mu-hee hugged her from the side.
"You know what I mean, right?"
"Yeah. Thanks."
"Exactly. Time to start dating and all that."
Mu-hee tossed out the line, then glanced at Yong-un.
"Why check on me?"
"The Witch can date if she wants, right?"
"As long as you handle your duties, do what you want. That order to live normally included stuff like this."
"Not just for training?"
"Training matters, but obsessing over it alone leads nowhere good. Stop sometimes, look around—that's what boosts your martial arts. Words from experience, so remember them."
"Oh, really?"
Yong-un met Mu-hee's eyes and shuddered slightly.
"What's wrong?"
He sensed something off in her gaze.
His instincts kicked in.
"No, just thrilled you said it's fine as long as I do my job."
End the chat and leave, now.
Can't ignore instincts anymore. No, mustn't.
Yong-un shot up from his seat.
"Let's go. Sis is waiting."
"Tch."
Mu-hee pouted and turned away sharply.
Then both she and the Poison Witch stood.
Yeah, instincts.
Yong-un nodded, and Mu-hee naturally summoned her demonic energy.
They all melted into the shadow stretching from her.
= = =
"Something happen?"
It was the first thing Sena said upon seeing Yong-un's group emerge from the shadows for the second ad shoot at her request.
Yong-un glanced at the Poison Witch and Mu-hee.
They looked no different from usual.
"Nah, nothing."
"Okay. Witch and Mu-hee, could you two get a quick makeup check with the staff?"
"Yes, got it."
The Poison Witch and Mu-hee headed to the staff.
Yong-un followed, needing makeup himself.
But Sena grabbed his arm.
"You fought, didn't you?"
"What're you talking about?"
"Can't ignore a woman's intuition. Mu-hee totally likes you."
Blood ties, maybe?
Sena seemed to share Yong-un's sharp instincts.
"No."
"A girl like Mu-hee? She's gorgeous, gets along with everyone from bosses to underlings... Hard to find someone like that."
"Sis?"
"I'll get mad if I say more? You'll figure it out. Anyway, little bro? Get ready~"
Sena bowed 90 degrees to Yong-un with a playful grin.
Yong-un just sighed and headed for makeup without a word.
= = =
They say you get better at anything with practice, and by the second ad shoot, things went smoothly.
It wrapped in under four hours.
"Great work, everyone!"
The Poison Witch clapped brightly, bowing to the crew with a beaming smile.
Her and Mu-hee's beauty had already been hyped in the media.
The staff all wore subtle smiles.
"Yong-un, you free?"
"Yeah."
"I meant those two behind you."
Yong-un looked back at the Poison Witch and Mu-hee.
"They're good too. Handed off gate runs to others for a bit."
"Kids? Watch your mouth with people older than you. Even subordinates'll beat you later for that."
Sena glared at him with axe eyes.
If she knew Yong-un's real age or his status in the organization, she wouldn't say that.
The Poison Witch and Mu-hee, who would've brushed it off normally,
Now giggled, sneaking glances at Yong-un with newfound confidence from their big backer, Sena.
"Having fun?"
"Sorry..."
"Sorry."
They straightened up and bowed instantly.
"Again!"
"Urgh..."
Looked like he'd be meeting Sis alone for a while after this.
Then, murmurs from outside reached Yong-un's ears.
Familiar camera shutters and mic setups made his eyebrow twitch.
"Who's outside?"
"Top-rank hunters are on another level, huh?"
Sena stuck out her tongue with a teasing Heh~
"You promised to help. Make it count."
She strode to the door and flung it open wide.
Dozens of cameras and reporters waiting outside fired off shutters like they'd been holding their breath.
"She's out!"
"Hunter Yong-un! You mentioned clearing up a misunderstanding—what is it?"
"Heard you have no family in Iron Army Guild. True?"
"What's your relationship with Armani Shopping Mall President Sena?"
"Those behind you—did they join the San Marino Demons weakening op too?"
"Are they your subordinates?"
"Hunter Yong-un!"
"Hunter Yong-un! A word, please!"
The reporters clamored while the Poison Witch and Mu-hee looked dazed, peeking at Yong-un.
First time for them, so they panicked.
But Yong-un, used to it, stepped out casually.
"This is your 'help'?"
He asked passing Sena.
She smirked and punched his arm lightly.
"I'm a woman who can pull this many reporters. Stage is set. Let's flip it."
He walked into the circle the reporters had formed.
Sena, Poison Witch, and Mu-hee followed.
Flashing shutters, clicking sounds.
"Hunter Yong-un!"
Reporters shouting his name.
Yong-un glanced at Sena and the others, then spoke slowly.
"It's all true."
Before the promised YouQuiz shoot.
A stage to shatter whatever YouQuiz had prepared in one blow.
The perfect stage crafted by the unexpected schemer, Sena.
"I'll answer everything straight."
Yong-un planned to dance on it.
Flip the board YouQuiz had forcibly set.
In a real-world war unlike the bloody Demon War, without flying limbs or piled corpses.
The hour-and-a-half press interview that followed.
Once it ended, the media exploded hotter than before.
The day before YouQuiz filming.
Even faster and fiercer than when Yong-un first appeared, it set the nation ablaze.
= = =
YouQuiz filming day.
The studio was chaos, as expected.
Reporters swarmed the front; no one could enter or exit.
In the emergency meeting room inside.
"How the hell did this happen?!"
Variety Director Jo Kyung bellowed.
PD Park looked grim too.
"Our press contacts aren't picking up either."
Head writer Pyo entered, frowning at the outside.
"No, they're all here. Just ignoring calls."
"After all the money we fed those bastards?!"
Jo Kyung's face twisted.
He stood, decision made.
"Cancel today's shoot."
"But sir, one hour left—they're on their way."
"Does that matter?! Fuck, cancel it. We have backlog footage. Air that."
Pyo bit her nails darkly.
"Problem is... they'll refuse to shoot if we do."
"Oh yeah? They're serious, huh? That interview yesterday was already a shot across the bow."
Fuming, Jo Kyung pulled out his phone.
"Tell them no shoot. And relay this: our network bans all Armani Shopping Mall ads or shoots. Who do they think they are threatening us? Tell them to wait."
He dialed.
"We have Armani ties? Cancel 'em all. Order that anyone mentioning or airing Armani stuff gets disciplined."
As he called, grim-faced Pyo approached PD Park.
"Stop the director, please. We'll all get disciplined. You know the network's chasing every Armani link. Rein him in!"
PD Park gave no reply.
Just stared blankly at the floor like a zombie.
"What?!"
Then Jo Kyung's confident voice cracked with shock.
He was a broadcasting giant.
Top-tier power player.
That's why PD Park had cozied up to him.
The ever-bold Jo Kyung.
"What?"
Shock in his tone for the first time.
"President... wait..."
The unflappable leader everyone followed.
Jo Kyung's trailing voice was heaven crumbling for Pyo and PD Park.
"Wait... tell them we'll shoot... no, insist we will."
He backpedaled.
Pyo's eyes bulged.
In over ten years in the biz, she'd never heard furious Jo Kyung retract.
Yet now, head boiling with rage, he bowed his head on the call.
To an empty wall.
"Sorry. We'll make it happen. Yes, apologies. Sorry."
What the hell was going on?
No clue in that moment—
The door opened, and in walked someone who shouldn't be there now.
"Why so many reporters? Noisy as hell."
The culprit behind it all, with backing as big as Jo Kyung's.
Iron Army Guild Marketing Team Leader Park Sang-deok.
"You flipped the board good. Make sure they can't come at us again, heh heh."
"Right away. Sorry."
Park smirked at Jo Kyung bowing to the wall repeatedly.
"Why's Director Jo bowing like that?"
"......"
No answer, unlike Park's smiling face.
Heavy air, weird vibe.
Park's smile faded slowly.
"Y... yes, understood."
Jo Kyung hung up.
Then stormed to Park, jabbing a finger at him.
"You're fucked. You fucking dogs."
"Pardon...? What..."
Eyes rolled back, Jo Kyung glared at PD Park and Pyo.
"You too. Sick fucking bastards."
What the hell?
Who'd he called? Talked to?
Face flushed beet red, Jo Kyung kicked the door open and stormed out.
His voice boomed through the studio and into the room.
"We doing the shoot or not?"
Sharp yet lovely voice.
Armani Shopping Mall President Sena's lively tone echoed from studio to meeting room.