No. 96
“Nice to meet you!” said the big man who had knocked at Yoo-seong’s door.
He was in his mid-fifties, with a neat appearance and clothing.
Lee Chang-bae was a wealthy person who held bio-engineering company, which had entered the ranks of huge corporations.
“Do you know me?” he asked Yoo-seong. His voice sounded like that of someone who had never experienced failure in his life.
It seemed as if he expected Yoo-seong to be impressed that a man like him had visited him personally.
“The reason I came to you is…”
“Sorry, who are you?” was the reply that came.
At this, Lee Chang-bae felt confused. When the door opened, his eyes widened.
The young man who opened the door was not Oh Yoo-seong.
“Oh.” Lee Chang-bae was embarrassed.
“Who are you?”
“This is Oh Yoo-seong’s house…” he stammered.
“No.” The young man scratched his head. His tone sounded annoyed.
“It’s really irritating. Since yesterday, people keep knocking…” the man added.
It seemed as if he had just been disturbed from his sleep.
“I’m sorry, Sir,” the young man added, “but I can’t help being annoyed. I’ve been suffering this since yesterday morning.”
Lee Chang-bae was at a loss for words. Based on his information, Yoo-seong had been sighted around here.
“This… sorry, this is me.” He took out his wallet and gave the young man a business card. He expected the young man’s expression to change upon reading it.
But, rather, the young man took it carelessly and glanced at it with displeasure.
“Do you know Oh Yoo-seong, the hunter?” Lee Chang-bae prodded. “If you see him anywhere near here, would you please contact me?”
“I have been living here for six months and haven’t seen him once.”
“Still…”
“Mister. I really don’t want to behave badly, but… I was trying to sleep.”
“Appropriate compensation will be provided if you can-“
Bang-!
The door closed on Lee Chang-bae.
After making sure he’d locked the door, Yoo-seong turned away. He opened the window, pretending to breathe in the morning air.
Unlike yesterday, there were no crowds of reporters outside.
However…
‘They’re trying hard to hide,’ he thought.
The alleys were filled with cars. It was past the rush hour, so there was ostensibly no reason for them to be there.
Besides, the car models were uncommon for this neighborhood.
‘They are not reporters.’
Those in hiding were like Lee Chang-bae, who had confidently knocked on his door.
Yoo-seong closed the window and went to take a cold shower.
As he felt the water splash on his face, he thought about his situation.
‘I am the first.’
He had survived in an alien world for six months. Therefore, the information he had was probably making industry insiders thirsty.
In addition, Yoo-seong had proven that he could survive for a while within the crack. For the next Dive, companies would want to invest in him because of the greater possibilities of profit over failure.
After the shower, Yoo-seong put on a coat and left the house. As he walked out of the building, he saw Lee Chang-bae, who seemed to be scolding someone over the phone.
“What the hell do you mean? Do you even understand your job…?”
His eyes met Yoo-seong’s for a moment, but soon, as if he weren’t interested, he turned to face a different part of the street.
Yoo-seong walked both quickly and quietly. The cars lined up on the street probably contained industry giants like Lee Chang-bae or their minions.
What did this mean for Yoo-seong?
It meant that these so-called giants would force a meeting upon him.
Yoo-seong wanted to have a meeting of his choice. And so…
He headed for Gung-on.
***
The Gung-on Tower was fifty-one stories high, right in the middle of Seoul. It had only been built two years ago, a sign of the company’s wealth and influence.
Naturally, Yoo Joon-seok’s office was on the top floor. Anyone visiting his office for the first time couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed.
Slydon-★★★★★★★
The whole floor had been built from the skeleton of this rare seven-star beast. With a monster’s fossil embedded in its walls, even visiting VIPs couldn’t help but feel intimidated. In the first place, only those who were classified as VIPs could even enter this place.
However, five minutes ago, the doors to the exclusive office opened to a guest who was not on the VIP list. The visitor was someone who didn’t even have a prior reservation.
“If you had called me in advance, I would have welcomed you properly,” Yoo Joon-seok said while pretending to be calm.
“Because it was so sudden, I didn’t have much time,” the visitor lied.
The person he was meeting with was Oh Yoo-seong. It was reason enough for him to cancel all his other meetings for today.
“Thank you for giving me your time,” Yoo-seong said.
However, his face didn’t reflect any embarrassment nor gratitude.
“It won’t take long. Let’s get to the point,” he added.
Yoo Joon-seok nodded. “It’s not like you, and I have a lot to talk about.”
Just the day before, Yoo-seong had inflicted much damage on his younger brother and the company. The news that a Gung-on team was trying to skip the operation using a false medical certificate was already widespread.
Yoo Yoo-seok and his team’s licenses were suspended.
The punishment probably wouldn’t be more than a fine. However, the problem was the damage to Gung-on’s image.
No matter which website you entered, you could find negative reactions against them.
If he couldn’t make up for the fall in the company’s stock price the previous night, Yoo-seong would unintentionally send people to the Han River.
Of course, Yoo Joon-seok did not intend to remain still. He would give as much as they took.
He wouldn’t let Oh Yoo-seong remain a hero.
“If you came to fix this situation somehow-”
“Why did you do it?” Yoo-seong interrupted him.
“What do you mean?”
“I asked you why did you do it. Yesterday.” Yoo-seong’s voice was stubborn.
“If you’re talking about the illegal activity Yoo Yoo-seok committed at the operation, I don’t think you can blame it on the CEO…” Yoo Joon-seok reasoned.
“That’s not what I’m talking about.” Yoo-seong’s expression was unreadable. “Tenz.”
Nerves popped out of Yoo Joon-seok’s forehead. Of course. Two Tenz hunters were staying in Korea using Gung-on’s name.
It was a secret.
After the incident with Yoo-seong and Team Quarts in the Dive, the Korean government was strictly monitoring the entry and exit of Chinese hunters.
The two Ship Zones’ entry was made in secret.
Last year, Yoo Joon-seok established a relationship with Jin Wei-baek. Now, Gung-on acted as Tenz’s agent in Korea. In return, Yoo Joon-seok was rewarded.
The secret partnership with Tenz was what had driven Gung-on to the top.
Yoo Joon-seok, whose skills were previously evaluated as stagnating, secured a firm hold on second place in the ranks.
‘Besides, in just a few more months, I will definitely surpass Lee Jae-hak,’ he was convinced.
With his partnership with Tenz, he had the access necessary to develop talents that he’d never had before. Now, he felt no sense of inferiority to Lee Jae-hak.
Because of this, he didn’t appreciate how confident and proud Yoo-seong was before him.
“I know that Jin Wei-baek is not with Tenz anymore,” Yoo-seong said. “My deal is with him. Therefore, I could not give the item to anyone else. It’s now mine.”
Yoo Joon-seok was stunned. ‘How did he know what had happened in Tenz?’
The problem that had occurred in Jin Wei-baek’s personal affairs was something that even Yoo Joon-seok had only learned recently. In the aftermath, there was a huge turmoil within Tenz, and the power structure changed.
Besides, what about that deal?
Everyone knew that Tenz signed Yoo-seong as a free agent. However, Yoo Joon-seok didn’t know anything about a personal deal between Yoo-seong and Jin Wei-baek.
He was Tenz’s most trusted person in Korea. He believed he was getting all the important information.
When Yoo-seong disappeared, he carefully inquired about it to Tenz, and the answer they gave him was, “Don’t worry about it.”
“That’s it,” Yoo-seong told him. “It’s not a very long message, so I hope you can convey it clearly.”
“Are you sure that’s all you have to say?” Yoo Joon-seok was surprised.
“Is there anything else you want me to say?” Yoo-seong looked curious. “Since I can’t meet the new Tenz boss, and I don’t really want to, isn’t it natural to speak to his servant?”
Yoo Joon-seok couldn’t control his anger. “Servant?!”
Yoo-seong merely nodded.
“I have a partnership with Tenz! This is not a master-servant relationship, you…”
“If you were hunters, then you could be partners,” Yoo-seong said calmly. “But you are not hunters. You don’t even deserve to be called pros. Should humans be treated as hunters just because they have Aura? You’re just an interest group that Tenz talks to.”
Yoo-seong’s voice was cold and aggressive.
“Humans who are not hunters should not pretend to be hunters,” he added.
“You… you have lost your mind,” Yoo Joon-seok stammered.
He could beat Lee Jae-hak. So he wouldn’t allow someone like Yoo-seong to say that to him.
“You won’t leave this building,” he warned.
He got up from his chair and pulled out a sword from under his desk.
“This…” Yoo-seong shook his head and sighed. “Look at you,” he said. “Dogs do resemble their owners. You must be influenced by the hunters who feed you. Are you so stupid as not to realize that what you’re doing is illegal?”
“No.” Yoo Joon-seok’s eyes flashed. “This is my building, my office. I have the power to make it legal.”
Yoo-seong smiled. Upon seeing this, Yoo Joon-seok could not endure it anymore.
He’d already pressed the button on his desk to call for support.
No matter how strong Yoo-seong was, he really wouldn’t be able to get out of this place.
There was only one thought in Yoo Joon-seok’s head.
‘Capture him.’
If he captured Yoo-seong and gained everything that he knew…
He would have the most valuable information about the cracks in the whole of Korea.
Yoo-seong stood still.
He could hear footsteps approaching the door. They weren’t the footsteps of ordinary people. Their speed was that of hunters.
“We have plenty of hunters with suspended licenses right now.” Yoo Joon-seok smiled.
“There is plenty of room for them to relax in the building,” he added.
“Good.” Yoo-seong raised his head. “If there are a lot of hunters here, I don’t have to feel so guilty.”
Yoo Joon-seok approached him with terrifying momentum. However, Yoo-seong’s actions were faster.
Jiii-
At the same time, Gung-on hunters opened the door and stepped in.
Jiii-!
They all saw it.
In Oh Yoo-seong’s hands was the item that Jin Wei-baek and Tenz wanted so much.
It was now his.
The Sky Scissors.
Jiii-!
The glare blinded everyone as Oh Yoo-seong opened a crack in front of them.
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