Descent of the Demon Master

s access to, but to Choi Yeong-Su, that amount must seem like a mountain of gold.”

Jo Gyu-Min shook his head.
“I still can't figure out why he did that, sir.”

Hwang Jeong-Hu grinned deeply.
“Fella, you have this tendency to overthink things.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“It's as Jin-Ho said.
He's simply giving Choi Yeong-Su an opportunity.”

“…?”

Hwang Jeong-Hu tutted and continued with his explanation, “Realistically speaking, Kang Jin-Ho didn't suffer all that much from Choi Yeong-Su's schemes.
He might have been in danger of losing a lot, but all that has been overcome in the end, wouldn't you say? On the other hand, this conflict has left Choi Yeong-Su's family in ruins.”

“…Yes, that's true.”

“In that case, wouldn't he be thinking that one year of unimaginable squalor is a good enough punishment?”

Jo Gyu-Min was puzzled.
“Sir? Wouldn't it have been fine to just leave Choi Yeong-Su alone?”

“You'll find that some people in this world are very strict with their debts, Gyu-Min.
They never forget all the favors they receive.
And they also never, ever forget their grudges.
The funny thing is, those people are also not the biggest fans of excessive vengeance.
At the least, with vengeance greater than the sum of their grudges, that is.”

“They are difficult types of people to deal with then, sir.”

Hwang Jeong-Hu shook his head.
“No.
It's more correct to say they are the scary types.
People like that will resort to any means necessary to repay their grudges if someone slights them.
You should definitely not make enemies out of such people.”

“I think I understand, sir.”

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“Kang Jin-Ho simply was trying to get this over with since that Choi kid has already paid for his sins.
As for that monetary opportunity, I think he was just acting on a whim.”

“On a whim, sir? Something like that was…
just a whim…?”

Hwang Jeong-Hu pointed at Jo Gyu-Min.
“You already know this, don't you?”

“…!”

Jo Gyu-Min originally didn't work for Hwang Jeong-Hu, but for his eldest son, Hwang Min-Jae.
The Chairman had cut off not only his three sons from his life and the company, but he had also purged every single one he perceived to be loyal to his kids.
However, Jo Gyu-Min and Kim Seung-Hwan were spared.
Not only that, but Jo Gyu-Min was now directly answering to Hwang Jeong-Hu.

“Do you really think I've employed you because there's no one else I can rely on?”

Jo Gyu-Min quietly replied, “…No, sir.”

Hwang Jeong-Hu might have been bedridden, but he was still Hwang Jeong-Hu.
If he seriously wanted something done, countless people would come rushing and prostrate before him.
However, he still chose to retain Jo Gyu-Min's services.

“That is what's called acting on a whim.
Humans are capable of doing that every now and then.
And people who stand above others have capricious whims that no one can quite understand.
Acting as their fancy takes them, in other words.”

What Hwang Jeong-Hu had said just now contained a hidden meaning.
Didn't he just imply that Kang Jin-Ho was one of those who stood above others? Even though he was merely a high school student? Was he also implying that he had acknowledged that young man?

“Gyu-Min, keep observing him.”

“Sir…”

“He's a dangerous man.
That much I do know.
However, when you get to my age, you naturally develop eyes to discern people.”

“Sir, the danger is just too great.
The most unsettling thing about Mr.
Jin-Ho is that his actions just don't match his age.
It makes figuring out what he's like an impossibility, sir.” Jo Gyu-Min tried to argue his case one more time.

However, Hwang Jeong-Hu shook his head and asked something unexpected, “Fella, do you believe in miracles?”

“Sir? When you say miracles…?”

“I am a believer.”

“…?”

“There are things in this world that science or logic can't explain.
People call those miracles.”

“Y-yes, that's true…”

“However, does that mean science has stopped progressing?”

“No, sir,” Jo Gyu-Min replied, getting even more confused.

“Imagine this.
Something that can't be explained by current scientific knowledge will be treated as a miracle or a supernatural event.
But when science advances enough to explain that thing in a few years, what would you call that then?”

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“It's…
difficult to answer, sir.”

Hwang Jeong-Hu chuckled.
“That's why I don’t have blind faith in science.
If science can explain everything, then it would be great.
But I wouldn't reject or dismiss an event just because science can't explain it.
Kang Jin-Ho is like that.
Impossible to explain, but an existence that shouldn't be rejected or dismissed.
Unlike you, Gyu-Min, I don't have many years left to live.
Since I'm not scared of my demise, I can look at this matter objectively.”

“…I see, sir.”

Hwang Jeong-Hu's voice became heavier.
“Keep observing him.
See how far and high that man will reach.
And also…
see how big of a help he'd become for our Jaegyeong Group.”

Jo Gyu-Min quietly stared at Hwang Jeong-Hu.
Kang Jin-Ho was already an inexplicable existence, while the chairman was just as extraordinary for hoping to use such a man for the company's benefit.

'Did I get stuck between these two titanic monsters?'

Jo Gyu-Min suddenly had an epiphany—he realized the true meaning of the 'important task' Hwang Jeong-Hu had told him about a year ago.
He was involved in what could well become one of the pivotal moments in the Jaegyeong Group's existence.

Jo Gyu-Min could only sigh.

***

Time continued to move along at a quick pace.
The National University Entrance Exams were now just around the corner.

Kang Jin-Ho scanned the textbooks laid out on top of his desk.
He had already finished studying his personalized curriculum that spanned from the first-year elementary school all the way to the high school senior years.
He had even finished going through the reference textbooks to prepare for the entrance exams.

What he had been doing was simply accumulating knowledge.
His focus wasn't on the application of what he had learned, though.
Instead, it was on broadening his knowledge base for the time being.
He had already learned all those years ago that you needed to know something first before you could apply it in your life.

Kang Jin-Ho glanced at the calendar.

'D minus 2'

Two days left until the entrance exams.
In other words, he only managed to finish his preparations only two days before the D-Day.

“I was actually cutting it close,” Kang Jin-Ho muttered while wiping his forehead.

He could have finished earlier by hurrying up a bit, but he had chosen to spend his time wisely and just finish everything within the self-assigned time frame.
It was all because studying was indeed important, but living a life was even more so.

“Wow, are you really done?” Park Yu-Min asked while scanning the books.

Kang Jin-Ho grunted, “Mmhm…”

Park Yu-Min looked genuinely impressed as he spoke, “You really did finish just on time.”

“Yes.
As precise as I'd like.”

“You're the weird one here, though.
Most people would try to give themselves some wiggle room, you know?”

“Are you doing the entrance exams too, Yu-Min?”

“Yeah, I am.
I gotta do it since I don't want all the time I spent in school to go to waste like that.
Besides, there are no tournaments or matches on that day either.”

“I see.” Kang Jin-Ho nodded and got up from his desk to leave.