#294. What More Could You Do From Here?
Kang Moo-hyuk stepped out of the Jin Do Logistics headquarters.
The negotiations had fallen through. They hadn't even properly started. Tempers had flared on both sides, and they'd simply stormed out.
As he drove, he sank into thought.
'No need to dance just because they've laid out the stage. It's not like I set this up.'
In truth, bringing up Jin Do-jun's daughter hadn't been a purely emotional move on Kang Moo-hyuk's part. It was an excuse to bail—and a probe for any weakness the man might have regarding his child. But the other man wasn't the sentimental type.
'I figured even a parent would waver at talk of their daughter... Guess this family's got its own complications. He didn't budge an inch.'
Of course, Kang Moo-hyuk had genuinely felt a surge of anger at a father prioritizing business over his child. It hit too close to his own past.
Things were better with his father now—the misunderstandings cleared—but the old emotional scars didn't fill in overnight. Kang Moo-hyuk still believed saving his mother had been worth more than his own life.
At least the chains of hatred that had once bound him so tightly were broken. But neither could bring themselves to voice their regrets, even as they felt them.
Maybe that was just how father and son related.
Still, Kang Moo-hyuk wasn't one to let personal feelings bleed into business.
'Once the companies start clashing, potion supplies will dry up. Can't have that. If guild gate-clearing turnover drops, civilians suffer the most.'
In the industry, they likened quickly clearing gates—then moving to new ones or supporting ongoing raids—to a restaurant's table turnover rate.
Hunter manpower was finite, while gates spawned endlessly. The term had stuck.
Though unofficial, the metric was as referenced as any formal stat.
And the key to turnover? Combat recovery.
Which boiled down to potion quality and quantity.
That was why, back in his Titan days, Kang Moo-hyuk had pushed so hard to upgrade the ampoule kits.
'Started as kid stuff between siblings, now it's guilds versus conglomerates versus the whole industry. I get the flow, but not the spark.'
He wondered if it was meant to blow up this big from the start.
To plot countermeasures, he needed the root cause clear.
Most people reacted to process and outcome. But without the trigger, the diagnosis could shift.
Was the Go Eul-ji incident premeditated? Spur-of-the-moment? Or just the spark for a preexisting plan? Knowing that would set the response intensity.
To get solid intel, Kang Moo-hyuk pulled out his smartphone.
"Kang Moo-hyuk speaking."
Riiing! Riiing!
"Yes, hello? Investigation Pros, Mr. Jo speaking. Well, if it isn't our old pal Kang, the boss who jumped ship? You traitor!"
Jo Si-won, aka Mr. Jo.
The self-proclaimed pro spy picked up with her snarky tone.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Shut that sly mouth of yours. It won't work on me."
"I haven't even said anything yet."
"Hmph! Planning to play dumb from the jump? I've already dug it all up—I'm here to grill you, so don't try."
Only her breathing came through the line.
After a pause, Kang Moo-hyuk spoke again.
"No clue what you're on about."
"Kang Moo-hyuk doesn't know after all that? Get real. I'd sooner believe orcs are farming."
"I'm seriously in the dark. Give me a hint to guess. Calling me a traitor out of nowhere? How should I know?"
"Slayer Guild!"
That one word clicked it for Kang Moo-hyuk—why she was so pissed.
"You mean the surveillance gig?"
Recently, Slayer-linked intel work pointed to Guild Cooperation Office's Park Chung-su. He'd asked indirectly, without naming names. Mr. Jo bit immediately.
"So you did know!"
"Seems like a misunderstanding. Slayer and Mr. Jo operate in different business lanes—"
"Got a taste for freebies and poached Slayer's intel network? That's a nuisance to the industry. Leave pro work to pros. That's how it grows."
Silence fell again. Then Kang Moo-hyuk dropped a line.
"Business slow these days?"
She flinched.
"Weird, huh? Work drying up for Mr. Jo's caliber."
"All your fault!"
Mr. Jo barked.
"For the record, I did nothing. Swear."
"Nothing? You swallowed Baekho Guild! Other tier guilds are catching on! And I helped make it happen... They're tier guilds, sure, but they can't pin me down. Still, they sense movement—beefed up security, industry warnings. Any whiff near guilds or hunters, they backtrace. Headache city. Can't work properly."
Her rant turned to whining. Kang Moo-hyuk offered a fix.
"Go dark a bit. Take a vacation—you said you haven't had one in ages. Even big guilds can't stay vigilant forever. No sign, they'll tire. Time heals."
"Vacation? Money doesn't grow on trees."
"Savings? Baekho paid handsomely, no?"
"Baekho cash? Spent already."
"That much?"
"Big gear haul when the lump sum hit..."
Kang Moo-hyuk got it instantly.
Pro spy or not, Mr. Jo was a hunter.
A high-rank one.
Her gear had to be top-shelf. Infiltration and stealth items? Rare and pricier than equivalents.
Even accounting for that, something didn't add up.
"High-rank gear's a fortune, sure—but you had steady work before. Our guild alone threw plenty your way. Heard our guild master doubled your Sinuiju fee."
"Nah, my line's niche... Gotta grease palms everywhere. Fixed costs stack up. Plus staff to feed. Loose lips sink ships in this biz—can't just fire 'em. Gotta know what they might spill. No work, no pay? Who knows what they'd do. They know I'd clean up their messes to keep 'em alive. Once hired, it's lifetime."
"Sweet gig for employees."
"Hell for the boss. Payday? Hands shake."
Kang Moo-hyuk cut through her griping.
"Join Iron Will then. We'll assume your contracts, solid performance bonuses."
"Kang Moo-hyuk? Playing games? This is Mr. Jo. Better starve than be a fat guild's dog."
"Merger style. Info outfit, but hunters all. No guild cards? Informal acquisition. Value the guild, calculate shares, pay the owner fair. Contingent on you staying on. Your outfit? Mid-tier guild level, easy."
"Gah!"
"Pardon?"
"Whew! Close call—nearly keeled over."
Mid-tier guild valuation? Eye-watering for a solo owner, hunter or not.
"Terms?"
"Hold up. Head spinning too hard. Too sudden."
"Think positive. How long can you dodge big guilds? High-value intel ties you to them. Better S-rank backed, Rider Wolf cash flow—future-proof Iron Will."
"Quit the ad spiel. It's tempting."
"FYI, scouting other outfits too. Value might dip later. Scarce sells high, right?"
Sensing her waver, he pressed—no mercy. Time limits clouded judgment.
Like flash sales online—impulse buys, no second thoughts.
Worked on big deals too.
Desperation bred greed.
But Mr. Jo was pro.
No falling for mind games—knew her worth.
"Boss Kang, seen luxury prices drop 'cause knockoffs sell? No gaps. Wait—crunching numbers."
"While you do, got a job."
"Ah, that's the real call? Spill."
"Potion cartel movements. Focus on Jin Do Group."
"That? Sending now."
"Already? Big shift?"
"Nah. Taeseong ties. Old vice chairman dirt, plus your guild master involved."
"Why our guild master...? You didn't dig for dirt, right?"
"Email good? Urgent meeting—gotta go."
"No work, but meetings...?"
Mr. Jo hung up quick.
"Phew, sharp one. Caught that?"
She recalled Baekho.
Tier guilds meant risks—insurance via dirt on Kang Moo-hyuk and Joo Se-ah.
'Nothing major... But gotta hold something. He'd sell me out if needed.'
He never had, but her deep distrust made her paranoid.
"Alright, email first. Done. Merger... Need a real meeting? Hey, Manager Man! Mansu!"
Her shout cracked the office door.
"Job?"
"Meeting. Round up the crew. Been ages."
"Crew's what, a handful? All at PC bangs, no gigs. Hold on—number... Got it. Hello? Boss wants you. What? Can't? Why? Oh, ranked match. Bronze if lose—going all-in. Yeah, get it. Won't make it. Gotcha."
Mansu's grim face tipped her off.
"What? Tier tails? Chase?"
"Ranked grind. Bronze demotion stakes—do or die."
"......"
Just merge?
Kang Moo-hyuk compiled details from Mr. Jo's data and calls, then sought Joo Se-ah.
He recounted the Jin Do-jun fiasco. She huffed in disbelief.
"Me joining shakes the potion world? What's their deal?"
"Bigger impact than you think. Simple fix."
"How?"
"Guild master publicly uses Dojin Group potions."
"I already grab whatever. Everyone does. So?"
She shot back, puzzled.
Kang Moo-hyuk hammed it up a bit.
"Taeseong blood, S-rank, snubs family potions for theirs? 'Must be gold-plated. Good enough for Joo Se-ah? Special.' Show active use, fans the hype. PPL, basically. Oh—PPL sparks idea. Counter-offer Taeseong, bleed 'em dry?"
"Not doing it."
"Got it."
His quick fold made her suspicious. She doubled down.
"Seriously not."
"Yes, understood."
"Not giving up?"
"Some say 'no quit' in their dictionary. Just a fave phrase."
"......"
Staring contest. Joo Se-ah yielded first.
"Fine, whatever. But this makes no sense."
"Which part?"
"Why grind to tank Taeseong for me? Bad blood rumors—true, kinda. But everyone's Taeseong chairman's daughter. No reason back Dojin. S-rank bows to high school hunter? Dojin idiots?"
"Got a solid reason."
Curious, Joo Se-ah leaned in.
"What?"
"Industry-known fact we overlooked. Association chairman and guild master's ties."
"That geezer and me? What?"
He furrowed his brow—like, really?
"Back when apprenticeships ruled over academy: Jang Deok-gu honed under Han Byung-gu. He trained you—common knowledge in top guilds. Chairman's your master's master. Then you slot Go Eul-ji into Iron Will as sub-disciple. Personal training. Looks connected. School ties, regional, blood—pick one."
Joo Se-ah clapped, getting it.
"Aha!"
Her obliviousness irked him—he scratched his head.
"Real issue isn't Jin Do Group."
"More?"
"This mess drove it home."
"What?"
He dropped the levity, face hardening.
"They underestimate our guild."
"Us? With me?"
He ground his teeth.
"See guild master and guild separate. Weak capacity. Means I haven't delivered yet."
His blazing eyes made Joo Se-ah swallow hard.
'Haven't delivered? What more could you do from here?'