Chapter 153
Chapter 153
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 153
Chapter Title: Stocking Up and Staging the Ambush
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Putting supplies into Jeong Oh-hoon's subspace wasn't that difficult. No need to steal anything, either.
"Just so you know, what we're grabbing isn't the stuff issued to hunters."
That would be too obvious if we skimmed it off. Jeong Oh-hoon let out a puzzled "Hm?" at my words.
"Then?"
"We buy it."
Nanning, where the Chinese provisional government had set up shop, could be called China's current capital in a way.
But it didn't look anything like what you'd imagine for a capital. A sprawling slum fit the scene much better.
Even in this massive slum, there were some surprisingly clean areas, guarded by armed hired security.
"Korean business owners."
They held fishing rights in the nearby seas or ran farms in the outskirts producing grains and livestock.
The actual laborers were mostly hired locals, but the owners were almost all Korean.
It had to be that way. Nanning itself was reasonably safe, but the farms producing crops and meat were pretty far out, leaving them vulnerable to monster attacks.
To keep those operations safe, you needed Korean hunters.
And the easiest, fastest way for them to get Korean hunters was from fellow Korean civilians.
"We'll drop by a few of those folks and buy a decent amount of food."
We're not robbing them—we're offering to pay. I doubt anyone would turn that down.
Shipping food produced here back to Korea costs money, after all. If they can offload it right here on the spot, it's a win for them too.
"Makes sense. I was thinking we'd just steal it."
I waved off Jeong Oh-hoon's comment.
"We're hunters, not thieves. Steal what? That's a crime."
We immediately set out around Nanning to secure food we could stash in the subspace right away.
"They've got this here too."
The relief rations made from processed food waste from Korea were apparently being handed out to rave reviews in China as well.
Here and there on the streets, dented, rusty buckets sat over open fires, bubbling with a mix of powder and water.
The smell was something else. Even a beggar who'd starved for three days would turn up their nose at the thick, head-spinning aroma. And lines of people waited patiently to eat it.
"Let's grab food quick and move on to the next thing."
The black stones Jeong Oh-hoon was supposed to smuggle—we'd smashed them all, so we needed to clean up to avoid any fallout.
We entered a clean building, showed our IDs, and requested cooperation.
"Of course. We're happy to help."
"If our price seems too low, please speak up."
Wouldn't want trouble later over something like this. Most people can't bring themselves to haggle with someone right in front of them—especially if that someone's a big shot.
"No way. It's plenty. You're paying more than what we'd get exporting to Korea."
We met a few like that, bought their food, and shoved it straight into Jeong Oh-hoon's subspace on the spot.
Using subspace openly was fine. The gear on a dead hunter's body belonged to whoever found it first.
The subspace inside was about 400 square meters, like a warehouse five meters high. Of course, part of it was taken up by Jeong Oh-hoon's own gear, so we couldn't fill it all with food.
"If it was just for the three of us, this would last forever."
Han Sang-ah shook her head at Jeong Oh-hoon's words.
"It's not just for us. We don't know how many troops will be with us, but basing it on 1,500, it'd only hold out a week at best."
That was plenty.
If things went south, we could at least make a retreat work. Plus, Han Sang-ah's week estimate assumed full proper meals. Ration it, and we could stretch it further.
"This'll do. Next up..."
Jeong Oh-hoon nodded at my words. He'd promised, through Korean contacts, to receive black ore here in China.
He'd come clean to me and smashed the stones without hesitation... but his Korean contacts didn't know that.
"You'll get ambushed during the deal."
Jeong Oh-hoon would take painted-black rocks to the meetup spot.
Han Sang-ah and I would raid the place while he was dealing with the smugglers. He'd really get taken out there—incapacitated, at least.
"Hit me for real. No half-assed acting."
Jeong Oh-hoon pleaded with us. Han Sang-ah cracked her knuckles with a pop and nodded.
"Don't worry about that."
"...Just don't kill me."
Seeing her reaction, he added a caveat, looking worried.
"A few bones might break."
"Oh, can't wait."
Jeong Oh-hoon looked glum at my words. If he didn't come out properly injured, it'd raise suspicions.
"No choice. Those 'friends' of yours have been useful so far, and they might be again."
That wasn't all, though. There was a bigger reason. We wouldn't go to these lengths just because they seemed handy. We'd already gotten plenty of intel from Sa Seung-hee anyway.
"Plus, there's your ex-wife's safety."
The Korean government had tried coaxing him through her, not threatening. He'd hired a bunch of heavy hitters with his connections and cash to protect her.
They hadn't wanted to escalate, so they'd stopped at persuasion.
He'd prepared meticulously—even had dirt on his hires to keep them from flipping for a bigger payout.
But if word got out that he'd ditched the deal and destroyed the black ore on his own?
"In this business, trust is everything. Shady types don't risk it unless they're dead sure they won't get caught."
Jeong Oh-hoon would lose all the credibility he'd built up.
"It's not just losing trust. No one would believe a word I say anymore. The guys I hired trust me not to expose their dirt as long as they guard my ex."
But if that trust crumbled? They wouldn't stick around protecting her. Once a traitor, always a traitor—that was the rule in his old world.
Like how no one lends to a guy rumored to have stiffed a friend.
"Failing a contract versus breaking it—that's a huge difference. I've failed deals before."
Apologize, pay the penalty fee to take responsibility. Sure, it'd bruise the ego and rep a bit, but as long as you paid up, no one came hunting you down to kill you over a failure.
Everyone was in it for the money. As long as someone covered it, they were good. Luckily, the penalty here was affordable.
"Alright, let's get to it."
We both already knew the deal spot and time. Jeong Oh-hoon would pretend to slip out alone; we'd tail him without getting spotted.
Midnight tonight, at an abandoned factory on the outskirts of Nanning.
While killing time till then, Jeong Oh-hoon stood up casually.
"Where you off to?"
"Just getting some air. Staring at these Chinese streets... kinda my vibe. Stinky, grimy."
I chuckled at that and waved him off.
"Have fun."
Once he was gone, Han Sang-ah and I stood without a word. I pulled her close by the window and whispered.
"You good?"
She shot back dryly.
"What, like it'll wear out?"
From the smugglers' view, we were their biggest worry. We had to give them reason to think we weren't leaving this room.
I kissed her, drawing the curtains naturally. Then killed the lights.
"Let's move."
She nodded, wiping her mouth.
"If we gotta do this again, gargle first. Or at least pop a mint."
Dinner had been Cantonese steamed fish.
"Hey, your breath had fish and scallion too. What, you think yours smells like flowers?"
I teased, tempted to burp in her face. She nodded.
"I know."
Kissing, curtains, lights out—they'd assume the obvious.
Oh man, these two are about to get busy in bed!
Han Sang-ah rigged an egg timer to the light switch quick.
It'd turn the lights back on after a bit.
Curtains up, they'd only see light leaking through.
"Nothing in the room to fool us, right?"
"Doubt our senses? Impossible."
She nodded. Time to head out. Even if they'd prepped carefully, no CCTV in China's current mess.
Even if they could, they wouldn't— like the Korean government bugging a U.S. base back in the day.
The guards were here to keep outsiders out, not trap us in.
Slipping out undetected wasn't hard or slow.
Once clear of the slums, we flipped up our hoods. Han Sang-ah asked.
"Hoods okay?"
"Fine. Starving slum-dwellers don't care who you are."
Won't get them fed, and picking a fight just makes you hungrier. They won't even remember you.
"More importantly, hurry."
We raced to Jeong Oh-hoon's deal spot. The abandoned factory was on Nanning's edge, barren all around.
"Twenty-five guys."
"Yeah."
Armed backups waited nearby for trouble. Twenty-five, five hunters among them.
Not top-tier skills. Probably the best they could muster.
"Don't touch 'em. We wait here."
The guards would radio check-ins. Miss one, and the dealers might bail or switch spots.
"Jeong Oh-hoon's already there."
I sensed his mana. Far off, three trucks chugged toward the factory.
"Han Sang-ah, mask up. When they arrive and unload..."
That's when we charge. Full speed—they couldn't react in time.
Blitz in like FBI, kick down the door, wipe the insiders, beat Jeong Oh-hoon short of death, and bail.
Simple, clean plan. Real power means less thinking.