The large mansion with the aesthetics of Hwangho, located near the site of the Silver Light high School, was one of the Silver Light Districts’ specialties.
A golden fence, woven with stronger barriers than the school.
A labyrinth garden that was large enough to get lost.
The five-story mansion in the center was the residence of Hwang Myung-ho, chairman of the Hwang Myung Foundation.
“Welcome, Baekho. Jeokho.”
Three tigers gathered in the mansion.
Hwang-ho, sitting at the top, welcomed his two friends and opened his mouth.
“How long has it been since the three of us got together? 30 years? 50 years? Why did you two come to me at the same time?”
“Hwangho, that is…….”
“Wait. I’ll try to guess.”
Hwang-ho put down the teacup silently and pondered for a moment.
Silver Light Districts’ purification case was known after receiving a post-mortem report from Jeokho.
The case was already closed.
He didn’t know what kind of business it was for, but he guessed why.
“Did Cho Eui Shin make a request?”
No negative answer was heard.
‘That’s amazing.’
Cho Eui Shin, a 17-year-old high school student who had been admitted to Silver Light high school for less than a month.
Cho Eui-shin has already saved five people just from what Hwang-ho gathered.
At the time of the entrance exam, Jang Namwook, Yoo Sanghoon, Son Minki.
Irena on the first day of admission.
And this dawn, even Maenghyodon.
‘Although he may have saved more from places that I didn’t know about.’
Hwang-ho, who looked like a teenager, smiled.
Jeokho, who saw Hwangho’s smile, was a little surprised.
Hwangho kept talking with his eyes shining.
“The intelligence that grasped our identity, the courage to deal with the Jin tribe, the unknown Gwanglim and skill, and the insight that could not be considered a 17-year-old. Cho Eui-shin is excellent in every way. It makes sense why you consider him noteworthy.”
Hwangho’s gaze passed through Jeokho and reached Baekho.
“Hahaha! Not only has he received help from the Red tiger, who openly protects humans, but to draw out the White tiger too. It’s been 15 years since I’ve felt so pleasant.”
Hwang-ho laughed out loud as he recalled the head of the student council who had asked for a solo audience with him 15 years ago.
“So what did Cho Eui-shin ask for?”
“He would like to hold an Alliance of the 12 meeting. Hwangho.”
Hwangho’s eyes sparkled at the proposal of Jeokho.
“It’s not easy to gather them…… okay. But, I have a condition.”
Living for a long time his friends and loved ones all died or fell asleep.
But the eyes of his remaining friends had changed.
After seeing those dead eyes, Hwangho, who lost all motivation had been pursuing the joy of moments.
‘To think Cho Eui-shin would change these two, and make a move.’
The two friends who visited him today and asked for help were different from before.
They wore the eyes of warriors standing shoulder-to-shoulder on the battlefield after a very long time.
“Baekho, Jeokho. Stop wandering outside and come under me. From now on, the chairman’s residence will be the base. This is my condition.”
The two tigers responded without much complaint.
“Okay.”
“I understand, Hwangho.”
Baekho and Jeokho would have accepted this easily because they wanted to observe Cho Eui Shin’s actions up close.
Hwang-ho understood their feelings.
“Especially you Baekho. Your name and seat were prepared already in the school. Come if you are determined.”
“Name?”
“I have already created a family register. The name registered in the database is called ‘Baekhogun’. I gave you the word gun for you, who was once the brother of the head of the family. In the last dynasty of the Korean peninsula, it was said that the king’s brother was given a title with that word in it.”
Hwangho’s eyes twinkled and laughed with very little malice.
“It would be funny to call you “Baekhogun-kun”. You’ve never laughed after you lost your true name. Even with a fake name, you have to leave room for laughs.”
Baekho looked at Hwangho with frost-like eyes.
Even at Hwang-ho’s words, Baek-ho didn’t look particularly upset.
“Let me think about it.”
After Baekho’s words, the brief discussion between the three tiger tribe members ended.
* * *
“Changcheon Myeonggung Ham Geun-hyung. Hello.”
“Hello, team leader Hong.”
Hong Gyu-bin and Ham Geun-hyung greeted each other.
‘The two seem to have met before.’
Even after the alias was decided, he was in contact with Hong Gyubin occasionally.
Although Hong Gyu-bin regularly sends out messages and he replies about once every three times.
“Team leader Hong Gyu-bin, it’s been a while since we’ve met in person. What brought you to school?”
He guessed why the player association official came to school, but he asked regardless.
The aim of the association was ‘Enemy Subjugation’ and ‘Player’s Protection’, and the two were the same this time.
It was an agenda the association had to stand for.
“Hahaha, what do you mean for what. Of course, it is because of ‘work’.”
Hong Gyu-bin smirked as usual.
However, when he looked closely, there were dark circles around his eyes, and his eyes were red.
Hong Gyubin looked very tired.
“Have you not been getting sleep?”
“Yes, I couldn’t sleep. I was working overtime all year because of the Dream Gate but on Friday night…… No, the emergency call order came down early on Saturday, so all the team leaders had to stay up all night.”
In the meantime, Hong Gyubin’s hair was well set, and there were no wrinkles on his coat and shirt.
As usual, he dressed better than himself, who slept fine without a single dream.
“I learned that there was something wrong with the player SAT-K, and the association had an emergency. Yesterday, the satellite didn’t send any warnings of the Enemy that Changcheonmyeonggung-nim defeated in the vicinity of Silver Light high school.”
Hong Gyu-bin said with a smiling face without breathing.
“There was a psychopath who disturbed the satellite signal among the association’s employees who were fired because of the Dream Gate incident. For reference, the psychopath was found naked in the nearby collapsed building, severely injured, and his body and mind were completely disabled.”
That psychopath probably was one of the perverts he had caught.
It seems that his actions have adjusted the balance between the sick person’s body and mind.
Not only did he lose his mind, but the body was also crippled.
“If Changcheonmyeonggung had not subjugated all of them, all of the assistant managers of the satellite management team would have to resign. Still, I have to write a written apology. Hahahahaha!”
Today’s Hong Gyubin was a little scary.
They were smiling like those who were sick in body and mind.
Ham Geun-hyung thought so too, pulling his shoulder and setting some distance between him and Hong Gyu-bin.
Hong Gyu-bin’s rampage, the monologue of like shooting a machine gun continued.
“I checked all the accessible recording devices, and it was confirmed that one player escaped to the school after being chased by an Enemy from the collapsing building. The building owner was Choi Pyeon-deuk, a Silver Light school teacher. And the player who escaped was Maeng Hyo-don, a student in class 0 in the first grade of Silver Light. It’s not what I am thinking right? Eui shin is also in the first grade, class 0. Can you tell me that Hyo-don has been attending school properly and have been good at school?”
Enemy, part of the Ung family.
An association employee involved in the Dream Gate.
Player satellite signal disturbance.
A building owned by Silver Light teacher Choi Pyeon-deuk.
Permanent expulsion players found in the building.
The escape of Maeng Hyo-don, a silver light student with excellent awards.
With such clues, the Players Association would have figured out what Maeng Hyo-don went through.
‘I think Hong Gyubin knows exactly.’
Hong Gyubin was trying to force lies and was raising vain hope.
However, Ham Geun-hyung shattered his hopes.
“Maeng Hyo-don is now in school for the first time. You must be busy today.”
If you interpret Ham Geun-hyung’s words, it would be like ‘Your reasoning is correct. You are working overtime again today.’
“Hahahaha, it’s confirmed overtime all weekend I guess.”
Hong Gyu-bin, who correctly interpreted Ham Geun-hyung’s words, laughed with despair in his lost eyes.
“I will speak with the public relations team of the Foundation regarding Choi Pyeon Deuk. So, please cooperate with me for Maeng Hyo-don’s case. Maeng Hyo-don’s homeroom teacher, Changcheonmyeonggung-nim.”
He was not the only one who thought that sounded like ‘Please help me’.
“Maeng Hyo-don is undergoing examination right now. I’ll talk for him. Let’s go in first.”
“Yes, please. Deputy Yoon, Employee Jung. Go get the data for the Choi Pyeon Deuk case. The Foundation’s public relations team is expected to arrive in 15 minutes. I will join later.”
Hong Gyu-bin gave instructions to two men with school visit permits hanging around their necks.
“Yes, team leader.”
“Yes, team leader!”
The person, presumed to be Deputy Yoon, turned right away and headed for Eun Hwi-gwan.
But on the younger-looking man, Jung was not moving.
Instead, he stared at him and Ham Geun-hyung with a serious face.
‘What······?’
Employee Jung suddenly walked toward him and Ham Geun-hyung and unfolded a hologram.
Ham Geun-hyung moved like the wind and blocked him.
‘Why is he coming here?’
A person believed to be a regular employee opened his mouth.
“Changcheon Myeonggung-nim, can you give me an autograph? I’d like to take a picture with the unknown supernova as well, and both of your device codes too please.”
What was he saying now?
Ham Geun-hyung also had a tougher face than usual, as if thinking similarly to him.
Deputy Yoon made a sudden U-turn and came back and grabbed Jung’s neck.
“Let’s go.”
“Oh, deputy. Let me go! Wait, it only takes a minute! Changcheonmyeonggung-nim, Unknown supernova! Deputy, ah, really!”
Deputy Yoon started dragging a head-locked overly cheerful employee away.
Those two who seemed free were somehow like Hong Gyubin’s subordinates.
“······Jung has always been a big fan of the Silver Light players. You can ignore him. Hahaha.”
Hong Gyu-bin laughed with a voice as if he lost his soul.
* * *
The reception room located in the Sangin Hall of the central auditorium in the central area.
Since outside performances were occasionally held in the Sangin Hall, there was a waiting room and a reception room for VIP only.
‘Can I even be here?’
Currently, there were three people in the reception room: Him, Ham Geun-hyung, and Hong Gyu-bin.
It was unnatural for him to be with them, but both Ham Geun-hyung and Hong Gyu-bin allowed his attendance.
“This is a common case. Parents who enslave their player children come out every year. After the conflict, more and more people gave birth to children with the feeling of scratching the lottery. It’s rare to find trash that sells them to fight clubs though.”
When Ham Geun-hyung briefly conveyed the situation in which Maeng Hyo-don faced, Hong Gyu-bin said fervently.
“I will immediately sever the ties between him and his father and prepare a group of lawyers to solve the debt problem. I will prevent the name of Maeng Hyo-don from being brought up in the media as well. Instead, there will be a big interview with Changcheonmyeonggung-nim as a cover-up.”
“Okay. I will prepare my interview with the public relations team of the Hwangmyeong Foundation.”
Ham Geun-hyung and Hong Gyu-bin thoroughly discussed future measures.
In summary, the case of Maeng Hyo-don is expected to unfold like this in the future.
The unemployed debtor who sold his son as a slave
VS
Players Association and Hwangmyeong Foundation joint defense team
They had no chance to lose.
If that situation came out in a game, the difficulty will be so low that it will be treated as a trash game.
The case of Maeng Hyo-don seemed to get resolved without problems.
“I want to have an interview with Maeng Hyo-don, but would it be difficult to do today? I would like to meet in person as soon as he is stable.”
“Yes. Please contact Maeng Hyo-don through me. Team leader Hong.”
“Hahaha, I thought Changcheonmyeonggung-nim would say so. Then I’ll go for now.”
Hong Gyubin got up from his seat and added a word.
“The person who destroyed Choi Pyeon-deuk’s decadent business. Do you know who it is? It didn’t remain in the recording device properly.”
“I do not know.”
Ham Geun-hyung answered without sincerity.
Hong Gyu-bin smiled at Ham Geun-hyung once and then at Cho Eui Shin.
“Well, there are not one or two fellows who hide their faces and acts like a vigilante among players. Like the Red Phantom Thief.”
That Red Phantom Thief nonsense.
Why does that embarrassing title appear here again?
It was related to the Dream Gate, so of course, it would come out.
Hong Gyu-bin got up from the seat as if he had no more intention of questioning.
Click.
Then the door to the room opened and someone came in.
The person who entered… No, it was Kim Shinrok, the descendant of the Jin tribe.
‘What did he do to involve himself in this case?’
Although it was convenient to have Kim Shin-rok.
He’s also one of the actual parties involved too.
‘He just looks like an ordinary teacher.’
Kim Shinrok now had nothing of the inhumane gloomy that he saw with school supplies.
Just, as usual, he was making a look that would make a good teacher.
“Mr. Kim Shinrok. Long time no see.”
“Team leader Hong. Hello, were you on the way out?”
“Yes. See you next time.”
Hong Gyu-bin and Kim Shin-rok also greeted each other lightly and separated.
And before leaving the seat completely, Hong Gyubin said a word.
“Then see you next time. Unknown supernova.”
Hong Gyubin left me with a meaningful smile.
No matter how much he thought about it, it was strange that a student was included in here, so he couldn’t help it.
‘……If I have to use force, I can pretend that I needed to be present as the vice-president of class 0 in the first grade.’
However, it was not only him that was strange, but Hong Gyubin was also strange.
‘It’s strange that a team leader level authority was kept on field duty. Does the player association have a special business philosophy?’
It was a slight discomfort, but he felt there was more to it.
Unlike Jegal Jae-geol, Ham Geun-hyung and Kim Shin-rok were not called “teachers”.
When Hong Gyu-bin called Ham Geun-hyung and Kim Shin-rok, he added “Mr.” or used the player’s alias.
Although there was no problem at all that he used honorifics and honorifics properly.
“Student Director, The requested data was sent to the device. Including Hyodon’s test result. There are still a few more tests left… Shall we talk while heading to the infirmary?”
“Yes. Cho Eui-shin, let’s go.”
Hearing the story, Kim Shinrok found Maeng Hyo-don and Ham Geun-hyung who were heading to the infirmary “accidentally” and heard of this incident and decided to cooperate.
‘You must have followed Ham Geun-hyung to find the timing to intervene.’
Maeng Hyo-don was expected to enter the dormitory soon.
So it wasn’t unusual for Kim Shinrok, an advisor to the Intellectual society to intervene in this matter, and it was a good thing.
“Hyodon is outside the examination room. CT scans and MRIs seem to be over as well.”
Kim Shinrok, who had been walking in front, opened the door to the infirmary while talking.
Cho Eui Shin followed Ham Geun-hyung and also went inside.
‘Is this the infirmary?’
It was like an infirmary in the central area of Korea’s best player special purpose high school built by the rich foundation.
It was equipped with medical facilities that seemed to have been made by melting money because of all the expensive equipment.
When it comes to the level of equipment they have, it is as good as the Hwangmyeong Foundation’s general hospital, where he went with Jang Nam-wook and Yoo Sang-hoon before.
‘So, that is why they don’t to the hospital and do a close examination at the infirmary instead.’
Maeng Hyo-don was sitting in the corner of the shining infirmary.
He was wearing loose clothes that looked like he borrowed Ham Geun-hyung’s clothes.
“Maenghyodon.”
Maeng Hyo-don, who was sitting on the inspection table, turned his head.
When he saw his face, he opened his mouth.
“You… you. Were you okay? Vice-president Cho Eui-shin!”
He showed his real face through his student ID, so he would have recognized it right away.
Thump thump thump!
Wow, how can he run like that with slippers?
Maeng Hyo-don jumped from the inspection table and came to him in an instant.
Seeing that he’s full of strength, it seems like he’s not really hurt at all.
“I thought I was going to die, you Vice-president piece of shit!”
“If you didn’t get hurt then it’s fine. Did you eat yet?”
“I still have to fast because I still have some tests left.”
“Yeah? I just got here after eating.”
“You bastard.”
Maeng Hyo-don’s mouth, who responded to his jokes, was rough but had a face mixed with sadness and smile.
It was fortunate that he could afford to laugh at least half of the time.
He didn’t want to see the head of Maeng Hyo-don, who was bowing his head, ever again.
He gave Maeng Hyo-don the most important thing to say.
“Hey, keep it a secret that I saved you.”
“Why?”
It would be embarrassing if people found out that the Red Phantom Thief was him.
“Just pretend you don’t know. Because I smashed everything there. It’s going to cause some issues if they find out I am involved.”
“······okay.”
Maeng Hyo-don had a look saying that he did not understand, but nodded.
Feeling at ease, He talked about random stuff with Maeng Hyo Don.
Did he sleep well, what did he want to eat for dinner today, when will he officially enter the dormitory.
Trivial talks like that.
Ham Geun-hyung and Kim Shin-rok were looking at the two of them chatting with faces filled with longing and gratitude.
Somehow, his back felt creepy.
It was a similar sensation to when he first heard the word Red Phantom Thief.
“····· He is similar to him in that he tries to hide his good deeds as well.”
What was Ham Geun-hyung talking about?
The biggest reason the Unknown Supernova hid his power was because of the embarrassing title of the Red Phantom Thief.
“Yes. Eui shin is an excellent student.”
Kim Shinrok also said with an inhuman expression for a moment.
He didn’t know what this descendant of the Jin tribe was thinking.
‘If I talk out here for no reason, it might bring up the story of the Red Phantom Thief.
He decided to shut up.
That evening, Maeng Hyo-don, Ham Geun-hyung, and Kim Shin-rok, the four of them ate at the dormitory restaurant.
Eating out was difficult because the Hwangmyeong Foundation’s legal team and public relations team issued a ban on going out.
‘I wanted to eat something delicious outside.’
Fortunately, Maeng Hyo-don seemed very satisfied with the dorm meal.
“Hey, vice-president…… Is the food in the dormitory always this delicious…?”
Maeng Hyo-don scooped up a bowl of food and ate it, and said in a thrilled voice.
He ate dinner with a happy face.
He had to talk to him to try to make him eat slowly.
‘I am full just by looking at him.’
The dormitory restaurant was buffet-style, so he didn’t know the exact amount, but he thought he ate at least 5 servings.
Thanks to him really enjoying the food, Cho Eui Shin also enjoyed it.
Among the dorm meals he has eaten so far, today felt the most delicious.
Then came Sunday.
This case was published as an article.
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