Chapter 1320. Working Together (5)

Thankfully, Kang Jin-Ho’s entry into China was rather painless.

Maybe because the fake passports prepared by NIS were too convincing, or the airport’s Public Security Bureau staff were simply too lax, Kang Jin-Ho’s group went through immigration without encountering any issues.

There was a possibility of the airport staff putting on an act to plunge Kang Jin-Ho into a trap, but that didn’t seem likely. He would’ve spotted their pretense almost immediately.

After exiting the airport, Lee Hyeon-Su shouted while making a contented face.

“

Aaaargh

, you f*cking fine dust! Is this a new torture method I don’t know about?!”

He couldn’t see a single thing in front of his face thanks to a fog of dust particles!

It wasn’t as if he wanted to defend China here, but... Judging from this sight, it didn’t look like China was sending all the fine dust and particulates to South Korea out of resentment or something!

At least in South Korea’s capital, all the fine dust made it inconvenient to breathe properly, but in Beijing? If Lee Hyeon-Su was exaggerating it a bit, it was as if he had stepped inside a damn gas chamber!

“

Oh

, right! Mask! Wear your masks!”

Lee Hyeon-Su hurriedly took out the masks he brought from Korea and pushed them toward Kang Jin-Ho and Choi Yeon-Ha.

When Kang Jin-Ho looked at the mask weirdly, Lee Hyeon-Su frowned deeply and urged his boss on.

“Please put this on, Mister Kim Cheol-Su.”

“...”

What Lee Hyeon-Su meant by those words was that Kang Jin-Ho was currently not a martial artist, but a businessman named Kim Cheol-Su, so he should stop being difficult and put on this mask.

Kang Jin-Ho testily asked, “Do I have to?”

“Yes. To cover your face, sir.”

“

Mm

...”

While making a subtly unhappy face, Kang Jin-Ho put the mask on. Choi Yeon-Ha also took the mask and put it on, although she literally snatched it off Lee Hyeon-Su’s hand first.

After sensing the

chilliness

from her gesture, Lee Hyeon-Su nervously gulped his saliva. Well, at least she would hit him less painfully and bite his head off slightly more gently now!

Since ancient times, one of the best ways to thaw a frosty relationship was a bribe, wasn’t it!

“Chief Lee? What about ours?”

“

Huh

?” Lee Hyeon-Su glanced at the Assembly’s martial artists, who were

furtively

staring at the masks, and scowled deeply. “What the hell?! Did you forget your place already?! You should be the one buying and presenting new masks to your boss, yet you want me to take care of your bloody masks, too?! Did you leave your brains behind in Korea? You think you’re free from the Assembly’s obligations while in China?!”

“...”

“Before I shove a gas mask filter in your mouth, you better shut up and get your own masks, got that?!”

One of the men meekly pointed at the box of masks. “But, sir... There should be plenty of spares in that box...?”

“Nope. Changing your masks three times a day is a given, so this one box is just enough for these two people to use during their stay here. I didn’t bring our masks.”

“Holy cow...”

What an amazing development this was, in a various sense!

Despite all the unhealthy particulate digging into his nose, Lee Hyeon-Su didn’t even bother packing his masks but only thought about bringing a box of it for his boss. Should he be praised for his meticulousness? Or be cursed to death for holding on to a box of masks and not distributing it to his underlings, when he could easily buy more in the stores around here?

The Assembly martial artists began complaining right away.

“Even in North Korea, we don’t get treated this badly, Chief Lee.”

“It’s the same story in China, too!”

Lee Hyeon-Su tutted. “You can always go back to Korea if you want.”

“

Gee whiz

... I didn’t know I’d get to experience a treatment worse than in North Korea.”

“Yeah, it’s the same story in China.”

Lee Hyeon-Su cleanly ignored their whining. “I don’t care, so go back if you want!”

Kids these days! They just didn’t have any backbone, did they!

Lee Hyeon-Su turned toward Kang Jin-Ho next.

“Sir. We should get going right away.”

Kang Jin-Ho coolly nodded.

An airport as large as this one would always see large traffic of people. Although the odds were low, Kang Jin-Ho might run into someone who recognized him if he loitered here long enough. Which was the last thing he wanted, since he needed to stay under the radar.

“Where are we going next?”

Lee Hyeon-Su glanced outside the airport’s exit. “For now, we’ll head to our hotel. Our contact will find us there.”

“

Mm

... Then, which hotel?”

“I’ve taken the liberty of canceling the hotel the agents have booked, sir. And found another accommodation more fitting for us. It’s about a thirty-minute drive from here.”

Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head. “You booked a different hotel? Why?”

Lee Hyeon-Su casually shrugged. “I mean, it’s your accommodation, isn’t it? But those idiots did as they pleased and booked some random hotel. I couldn’t let that happen, so I went with a different hotel using the credit card they had given us.”

“...”

“

Eii

~, don’t look at me like that, sir. I’m also a South Korean citizen, no? I made sure not to go overboard and booked a room in a mere five-star hotel.”

“...”

A five-star hotel was not going overboard?

Kang Jin-Ho’s brows twitched. “Wait, are you telling me there are hotels above the five-star grading?”

“Well, five-star is the maximum, yes, but the best of the best luxury hotels boast about being seven stars for advertising purposes.”

“Really?”

“Yes, sir. So, you could say they are lying, but technically speaking, they aren’t lying, either.”

Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head slightly. What kind of sophistry was this now?

“With the proliferation of luxury hotels all over the globe, the difference between five-star hotels has become that of heaven and earth, sir. Many of the so-called seven-star hotels don’t deserve that label, but it’s also true that quite a few of them are too good to be labeled five-stars alongside others. If it was up to me, I’d have found a suitable seven-star hotel, but... Forgive me, sir. I had to hold myself back this time.”

“...”

So, what Lee Hyeon-Su said was... He had picked a five-star hotel, but was also budget-conscious enough to choose one that was wallet-friendly!

Kang Jin-Ho briefly pondered if he should think of Lee Hyeon-Su as a man of conscience or as a man who sold his conscience down the river.

Whatever the case might be, one thing was for certain—defining who Lee Hyeon-Su was still a tall order.

“Fine. Let’s get going, then,” said Kang Jin-Ho.

“Of course, sir.”

Kang Jin-Ho turned toward Choi Yeon-Ha next. “Oh, then Miss Yeon... I mean, Director Choi’s...”

Lee Hyeon-Su grinned. “Nothing to worry about, as I’ve already arranged her accommodation as well. It’s the same destination.”

“...” Kang Jin-Ho’s expression grew weird again. “Hey, isn’t that, you know? Fraudulently wasting taxpayers’...”

“No, sir. I’ve taken care of that using MK’s company card.”

How meticulous!

Lee Hyeon-Su simply did not permit any rooms for counter attacks. Kang Jin-Ho sensed himself getting triggered for some reason, so he had to suck in several deep breaths to calm himself down.

Unfortunately, each deep breath only led to fine dust rushing into his nostrils, which displeased him a great deal. Forget calming down, it felt like his anger was only getting stoked!

“Then, are we grabbing a taxi?”

If it were only Kang Jin-Ho and his group, he wouldn’t have minded walking to their destination, but Choi Yeon-Ha was here, too.

“Fufufufu~!” Lee Hyeon-Su suddenly grinned like a sinister villain. “What do you mean by a taxi, sir? When we’ve come all the way to Beijing? You must be underestimating my ability to prepare ahead!”

Anxiety quickly crept into Kang Jin-Ho’s expression.

With every passing day, his anxiety over Lee Hyeon-Su grew worse and worse. Was Kang Jin-Ho wrong about his subordinate gradually becoming a lunatic? If not, then...

Just as his thoughts reached that far, something quite large and

odd

entered his view.

A vehicle was smoothly gliding into the chaotic road in front of the airport. Yet another car joining the seemingly unending queues of parked cars and taxis shouldn’t be surprising, but everyone’s attention was still drawn to this particular vehicle. And for a good reason, too!

Because it was... long.

Its width was only slightly larger than the standard size, yet its length was bizarrely long. That car’s maker must’ve cast aside any pretense of offering driving dynamics for the sake of obtaining the ultimate luxury of space and sheer comfort.

In other words, it was...

Lee Hyeon-Su proudly smirked. “

Ta-da~!

Here’s your ride, sir. A limousine.”

“What the... Have you gone...”

...Insane?!

Kang Jin-Ho felt a sudden bout of migraine pummeling away on the side of his head.

How? A headache? That should be impossible for me.

In a way, this should go down as a historical achievement. After all, just how many people in this world would be capable of causing a migraine in a powerful expert like Kang Jin-Ho?!

He cautiously approached the limousine that had stopped in front of his group. Merely looking at it was enough to trigger a flood of cold sweat to trickle down his forehead.

Lee Hyeon-Su grinned. “Sir, please climb inside.”

“...Inside? This thing?”

“Yes, sir. Don’t worry, it’s only because this is your first time. You’ll soon get used to it in no time at all.”

“You speak as if you’ve ridden in a limo before.”

“Of course not. It’s my first time as well, but I’ll get used to it very soon, I wager.”

“...”

Kang Jin-Ho’s cheeks twitched ominously. Today had to be the first time since his return to the modern era that he had failed so spectacularly to control his expressions.

“Chief Lee.”

“Yes, Chairman!”

“Have you forgotten why we’re here?”

“Of course not, sir,” said Lee Hyeon-Su with a satisfied grin, then pressed his index finger against his lips. “For now, we should enter the limousine.”

“...

Fuu

.”

Kang Jin-Ho sighed deeply and shook his head. With that silent permission given, Lee Hyeon-Su rushed toward the limo and opened its rear door.

He grinned toward Choi Yeon-Ha. “Miss Choi? Ladies first, please.”

𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Choi Yeon-Ha cocked an eyebrow. “Me too?”

“Of course, ma’am.”

When Lee Hyeon-Su bowed deeply like a loyal servant, a strange smirk floated up on Choi Yeon-Ha’s lips. She glanced at Kang Jin-Ho. “This isn’t so bad.”

“...”

“To think I’d be treated with such respect, too. Maybe it’s not a bad idea to go easy on him later?”

After saying those meaningful words behind, she smoothly climbed into the waiting doorway of the limousine.

As it turned out, the gently smiling Lee Hyeon-Su was doing his best to get back on Choi Yeon-Ha’s good books.

Kang Jin-Ho inwardly tutted.

What a sly snake of a man...!

He used to think several times in the past that, had Lee Hyeon-Su been born in the eras of kings and queens and not walked the path of martial arts, he would’ve easily gone down the annals of history as one of the worst treacherous retainers mankind has ever known!

Kang Jin-Ho didn’t forget to shoot a brief glare at Lee Hyeon-Su while climbing into the limousine. However, Lee Hyeon-Su continued to grin as if he had already expected such a response.

“...”

After shaking his head a couple of times, Kang Jin-Ho entered the vehicle. Lee Hyeon-Su grabbed the door and got ready to enter as well, but an urgent voice coming from behind him stopped his movements.

“E-excuse me, Chief Lee?”

“

Eh

?”

Lee Hyeon-Su turned his head to discover the Assembly members standing there with anxious faces.

“S-sir? Where is our ride?”

“

Huh

?” Lee Hyeon-Su cocked his head to the side. “Didn’t I already tell you where your accommodation is?”

“Y-yes, sir... You did.”

“You. Aren’t you from China? More specifically, didn’t you say you used to live in Beijing?”

“Y-yes, sir.”

“Then why are you asking me for your ride? Doesn’t this city have subway trains? And public buses? Isn’t this the same as a person living in Seoul landing in the Gimpo Airport and asking for directions?”

“...”

“I’ll confirm if you’ve arrived at your accommodation in one hour. Personally. So you better stay put instead of straying somewhere else, okay? Also, we don’t know how long we’ll be staying there, so get enough food to last a few days, too.”

“...”

“When I go there and don’t find you? You are all dead meat. If you don’t want to become corpses in this distant land... Wait, it’s your homeland, isn’t it? In any case, if you want to stay here forever as a corpse, go out and have fun. I dare you.”

Lee Hyeon-Su glared at the group before unhesitantly slipping into the waiting limousine.

Vroooom...

The lengthy vehicle smoothly set off. The ones left behind could only dazedly stare at the limousine driving away. Before long, though, another round of whining and insults began flying out of their mouths.

“That... That son of a b*tch!”

“What an inhuman bastard he is!”

“Even though he’s riding in a fancy limo, we gotta catch a stupid subway train? Gimme a break, man.”

“Hey, you know where our accommodation is?”

“Yeah. It’s some hostel or rather.”

“...A hostel? Isn’t this too discriminatory?”

Of course, they understood why they were stuck in a hostel.

A bunch of rough-looking people waltzing into a hotel would obviously attract unwanted attention, after all. Splitting the accommodation would be the correct strategy in this case.

Even though they knew all this...

“...Then shouldn’t he come with us, too?!”

“Yeah, that’s what I meant!”

“Dammit, man! So unfair!”

Even as these men were whining incessantly while their scary superior wasn’t around...

Their companion just stood there, unable to sympathize with their plight.

“What the...?” Han Eun-Sol muttered, his voice trembling weakly. “Why did they leave me behind here?”

The Assembly martial artists belatedly noticed Han Eun-Sol’s presence and began tilting their heads.

“He’s right. Why is this kid here with us?”

“Dunno?”

“Kid?! You moron! He’s a department head in MK! Watch your mouth if you don’t want to get your ass beaten up black and blue!”

“

Ah

? Really? He looks young, so I didn’t realize he was an executive. Hey, guys. Let’s greet him properly!”

“It’s great to make your acquaintance, Department Head, sir!”

“Yes! I’m honored to be in your presence!”

“Don’t worry, sir! We’ll take good care of ya! But don’t forget to put in a good word for us later!

Ehehe

~.”

“So, what should we do, sir?”

Han Eun-Sol’s cheeks twitched. A group of men that would’ve made his vowels shrivel in an instant if he had run into them in some dark alleyway... was bowing to him as if he was a gang boss!

N-noona, please come back! Take me with you, too! I’ll never complain about how difficult you are! I promise!

Han Eun-Sol received a renewed understanding of how precious the person called Choi Yeon-Ha could be.