172. You'll Know If You Watch
Dog Fighting Guild's Byeon Yo-seop had passionately persuaded his guild master to head to Cheongjin City all because of Kang Moo-hyuk.
He held a press conference that very evening after the hearing concluded.
The press and media bombarded him with questions about the national unified strike force, but Kang Moo-hyuk addressed something entirely different.
Kang Moo-hyuk ended the press conference unilaterally without taking questions, but most didn't blame his rudeness. He'd left the venue and headed straight to the battlefield.
No sooner had Kang Moo-hyuk gotten into the vehicle than Section Chief Oh Jeong-yeon, waiting inside, handed him a tablet.
"Director, these are the approval documents. This one's for budget expenditure. The next is the C Warehouse equipment repair request. Oh, and this is the Hunter Village facility management report. That one's the ampoule kit supply documents for this month."
Oh Jeong-yeon usually handled communications team duties, but since Kang Moo-hyuk hadn't set up a separate secretarial office, she was filling in as temporary secretary.
On top of that, with team leader Pyo Beom-hee heading to Cheongjin City, she was shouldering all sorts of guild tasks regardless of department.
Kang Moo-hyuk busied himself reviewing and approving guild documents during the drive.
He'd instructed her to handle approvals on her own when he couldn't sign, but anything involving money required his direct review.
"Section Chief Oh, how many documents need my signature?"
"Twenty-seven simple approvals, and nineteen that need review first."
"What needs reviewing?"
"The urgent one is the potion issue. Hanju notified us they'll only supply ampoule kits until next month. I've shortlisted six domestic large and mid-sized companies plus four importers as new suppliers. I've compiled info on potion grades, unit prices, etc., so you'll need to decide on the replacement. And also..."
"No. That's enough. No need to explain each one. I'll read and ask about anything unclear. Hanju gave us until next month?"
"Yes. The 10th."
"Tight timeline to pick new suppliers and place orders. But at least they gave us a month? I thought they'd pull out immediately over cutting ties."
"Hanju's Director Oh Jeong-su asked me to pass on his apologies. He said pushing it back a month was the limit of what he could do on his own."
"That's them going easy, considering Chairman Oh's temperament. But this'll take hours? We're driving, so it'll be tough to handle work."
"Go to Cheongjin City and back. There's a backup vehicle behind, so finish up and I can head straight back to the guild."
"Got it. I'll wrap it up as fast as possible on the way back."
Kang Moo-hyuk dove into work without even stopping at a rest area. Fortunately, he finished approvals by the time they passed Hamheung City.
"Switch at the next rest area."
Oh Jeong-yeon contacted the trailing escort vehicle. She switched cars at a rest stop about 10 km further.
"Thanks for the help. Sorry to drag you out here when guild work's piling up."
"No problem. Fighters on the front lines have it worse—this is nothing."
"Drive safe. Call if anything comes up."
"Director, please take care of yourself."
Oh Jeong-yeon bowed deeply before boarding the follow-up vehicle back to North Pocheon.
Kang Moo-hyuk settled back into the car. His body felt like a thousand pounds. He sank deep into the leather seat. Exhausted, yet sleep wouldn't come.
He rubbed his fatigued eyelids and gazed out the window.
The highway was sparse on traffic, lit only by streetlights spaced along the road. Darkness blanketed everything. No moon in the pitch-black sky.
His gaze fixed on the repeating lane markers. His mind drifted to distant lands.
As his eyelids drooped halfway, his smartphone rang, jolting him from a doze.
"Yes, Director Cha."
"Have you gone to bed? Your voice sounds hoarse."
"No. Dozing in the car. Heading to Cheongjin City now."
"Must be tiring. Dealing with those assembly members wastes so much energy."
"This time it wasn't a waste."
"Yeah, seems that way. My prosecution summons got canceled."
"Good."
"Not sure if 'good' is the word. They just hit pause. Forgery charges still stand, so I'll probably get called in again after this blows over."
"They holding your leash?"
"Yeah. Seems like higher-ups want to control the Cooperation Office. A 'behave' warning."
Cha Gil-ju's tone was bitter. A self-deprecating chuckle leaked from the phone.
Kang Moo-hyuk changed the subject.
"How's the volunteer army side? Any word?"
"Yeah. Just a check-in from the Blue House so far—quiet otherwise."
"Relief."
"Can't block it after you announced on TV. Blocking monster-fighters would tank public opinion."
"If not election season, they'd nitpick procedures. Rushed the homepage launch without think time—they're scrambling. Can't corral escaped horses now; they'll try yanking reins late. Stay vigilant."
"Don't worry. These horses are feral—no reins to grab."
"Feral?"
"Inquiries flooded before the homepage even launched. Cooperation Office staff pulling all-nighters—no one's clocked out."
Kang Moo-hyuk fell silent.
Cha Gil-ju's excited voice hinted at the overwhelming hunter response—far exceeding what Kang Moo-hyuk had projected.
But Kang Moo-hyuk stayed calm, no fanfare.
"Too early to call. Don't know if it'll hold till registration. Even registrants might not show in Cheongjin."
"We'll see. How will you run the unified strike force?"
"Pick a strike force leader first."
"Weren't you taking it, Director Kang?"
"Never planned to. Couldn't anyway."
"Then why full authority...?"
"Makes forming the force easier."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Simple. Hunters stay quiet if a civilian claims strike force leader?"
"Right. They'd riot for a qualified hunter. Especially for unified force..."
"Leader controversy buries unified force revival debate. Top guilds think:"
"How?"
"'We take the leader spot.'"
This time, Cha Gil-ju went quiet.
A masterful stroke.
The unified strike force could conscript desired hunters and mobilize all resources.
For guilds, it was unchecked power.
Temporary, but exploitable to boost fame and strength overnight.
Once formed, no guarantee it wouldn't recur. First one mattered most.
Kang Moo-hyuk sank their pride ("no civilian leader") and greed (maximize authority) to bury the formation issue subsurface.
Now, just who takes unified strike force.
Cha Gil-ju, marveling at the ploy, realized the next hurdle wasn't easy.
"Leader pick's the key."
"No worries. Already handled."
"Handled? When?"
A faint smile tugged Kang Moo-hyuk's lips.
"You'll know if you watch."
Ring ring! Ring ring!
"Yes, got it."
"Hunter Seong Seon-je. We appoint you leader of the National Unified Strike Force."
"I see."
"You may decline without penalty. Do you accept unified strike force leader appointment?"
"Yes. I accept unified strike force leader appointment."
"Committee confirms Hunter Seong Seon-je accepts National Unified Strike Force leader position. Effective immediately, you may conscript any Republic of Korea hunter and mobilize any hunting resource under government guarantee. Heavy responsibility, but on behalf of the people, we wish you victory."
"Yes. I'll eradicate the monsters."
"Good hunting."
Seong Seon-je hung up, then immediately redialed.
"Director Kang, just got the call. As you said, I'm strike force leader."
"Even legal process—plenty of backlash."
"Not my first rodeo with troublemakers. Adds spice."
"Shall we start?"
"Yes. Circulate the strike force member list to each guild."
"Damn! We got played hard!"
Ryu Hyeok, strategy team chief of Traveler Guild—same tier as Slayer—slammed his innocent desk in frustration.
The Personnel Committee had appointed Slayer's Seong Seon-je as strike force leader.
But his rage wasn't at the committee or Seong Seon-je. It was aimed at Kang Moo-hyuk.
"Who'd think he'd tally Cheongjin-Hyesan defense contributions for this. Should've stayed in Cheongjin! Kang Moo-hyuk... sent our expedition to Sinuiju for this scheme?"
Irked that Slayer's expedition lingered in Sinuiju, he'd pressured Kang Moo-hyuk to pull his guild to the rear too. Other tier guilds' expeditions joined to Sinuiju.
Ryu Hyeok, leading negotiations, gained representative status for northern ops from tier guilds excluding Slayer.
Plus, stationing two strike forces in Cheongjin like Slayer avoided "top guilds playing safe" talk.
Everything seemed smooth—until now.
"Never guessed Slayer secretly reinforced with elites. All aces beyond the expedition..."
Unlike other tier guilds' token forces, Slayer had swapped Cheongjin strike force to top hunters outside expedition.
Appearances aside, Slayer committed max force to Cheongjin.
The committee picked the most aggressively defending guild's top capable, renowned hunter for leader.
"Kang Moo-hyuk... should've trusted my gut on that sly face. Rumors true, huh? Fine. We'll see. I'll remember this loss."
Ryu Hyeok ground his teeth, vowing never again—unaware of Kang Moo-hyuk's other intent in sending him to Sinuiju.
Gwan Hong lately couldn't focus on Magyong affairs.
Korea's top guilds suddenly massed expeditions in Sinuiju.
"All tier guilds except Baekho. What's the play?"
His lord, Bi Won-jun, was recuperating from injury against Joo Se-ah. She'd taken heavy damage too.
Dandong strike force and Xiao Zan out.
Overmatched by Sinuiju tier guild expeditions.
"Can't leave this. Pull some force as precaution."
Magyong deployment weakens, but must block Sinuiju push.
Gwan Hong contacted Imperial Dragon Guild strategy team.
"Pull expedition to Dandong."