“Help them,” said Hwang Jeong-Hu.

Jo Gyu-Min’s jaw nearly fell to the floor. “...I’m sorry?”

“I said, help them. Make it happen.”

“...But, uh, Chairman? Sir?” Jo Gyu-Min stared dazedly at Hwang Jeong-Hu.

But the Chairman of the Jaegyeong Corporation stared right back at the Chief Secretary, nonplussed, as if he couldn't see a problem here. “Is there a reason why we can't help them?”

“B-but, sir! This problem isn’t as simple as you think it is. What if we get caught…?”

“What if we get caught? So what?”

“…?”

“The plane isn't ours, anyway. Are we at fault because some people smuggled themselves into a cargo plane we rented to send goods overseas?”

“N-no, we… aren’t.”

Indeed, the blame would land on the owners of the cargo plane. Or the airport operators.

“Besides, why do you think Jin-Ho and his pals getting caught will become our problem? Have you seen the plane operators getting blamed for terrorists boarding one of their planes heading to America?”

“...No, sir. I haven’t.”

Hwang Jeong-Hu tutted away. “So, what’s the problem?”

“Well, uh… We need to make space by loading fewer goods, sir. And it’s not like the plane will carry only our stuff, you know? It’ll be shared with other companies.”

“Huh. Our goods are sealed in crates. Which means inspections are already done and over with, making additional inspections seemingly unnecessary. But the stowaways still somehow slipped in. Isn’t that cover story good enough for you?”

“…”

“We can deal with the fallout by punishing the shipping supervisor, then reimburse him handsomely under the table later. So why are you trying to be so square about this, Gyu-Min?”

Jo Gyu-Min's brows subtly quivered just then. He could already picture Lee Hyeon-Su's punchable face cackling hatefully away. And he could not bear to see that happen!

“But, sir!” Jo Gyu-Min cried out while kicking his brain into a higher gear. “Yes, I admit that your idea is workable. However, that only applies to regular people, sir. The people on the other side will easily guess our involvement in this matter. Even if they can't hit us legally, they will still try to harm Jaegyeong in other ways. For instance, they could block our exports to the UK! No, wait. It might get worse than that. They could even threaten our market position in Europe!”

“...But we hardly sell anything over there?”

“…” Jo Gyu-Min clamped his mouth shut.

That silent response prompted Hwang Jeong-Hu to groan under his breath. In a two-for-one deal, two people found themselves struggling under the absurdity of this situation.

“Gyu-Min, I get what you're trying to say. I do,” Hwang Jeong-Hu nodded at Jo Gyu-Min. “Call that guy.”

“Sir?”

“Call the guy in charge of this operation on the other side. I’ll handle this.”

“Oh… Understood, sir!” Jo Gyu-Min hurriedly pulled out his phone and dialed Lee Hyeon-Su’s number. Then, he put the device on speaker before cautiously placing it on Hwang Jeong-Hu’s desk.

—Oh, hey. So, what’s the news?

“This is Hwang Jeong-Hu speaking, not Chief Jo Gyu-Min.”

—C-Chairman Hwang! It's an honor to make your acquaintance! My name is Lee Hyeon-Su, the chief director of Martial Assembly's administrative department!

Even the one-and-only Lee Hyeon-Su sounded nervous just then. Whether one was a martial artist or not, the weight of Hwang Jeong-Hu's name was not something he could roundly scoff at.

“I hear you want to load people instead of cargo in one of the planes bound for the UK?”

—Yes, sir!

“Did that fool, Kang Jin-Ho, cook up this idea?”

—Yes, sir! He did!

Hwang Jeong-Hu chuckled while mouthing a cigarette. He expertly lit it up before resuming from where he left off. “This request isn't as straightforward as you think. We could extricate ourselves from legal issues in case we get caught, but that still leaves us with the problem of potential harm, both tangible and intangible, falling our way. Do you know what I mean?”

—Yes, Chairman. I do. That’s why we will make sure no one notices us.

“No, no. That's not right, Mister Lee,” Hwang Jeong-Hu cut Lee Hyeon-Su off. “You can't plan ahead while thinking everything will be alright. We can't have a serious talk without you making suitable preparations to counter the worst possible outcome. That is the basics of running a business. Isn't that right?”

—Yes, that’s correct, sir.

Whether that notion was right or wrong was secondary. No one, not even Lee Hyeon-Su, would dare question Hwang Jeong-Hu in business-related things.

‘Hah! Have some of that!’

Jo Gyu-Min felt like years of indigestion rotting in his gut were rapidly dissolving away while watching this conversation unfold. He might never get another chance to enjoy the scene of Lee Hyeon-Su sweating buckets like this!

‘Man, what a stress reliever this is. All my stress is going away!’

Unfortunately, life had a habit of not always working out according to people's wishes. Including Jo Gyu-Min's!

“Very well,” Hwang Jeong-Hu grunted. “Let’s do it. We’ll help you this time.”

“C-Chairman?!” Jo Gyu-Min gasped in shock and was about to say something.

However, Hwang Jeong-Hu silently raised his hand to indicate he didn’t want any interruptions. Then, he briefly nodded, conveying that he’d handle this conversation.

No one would be brave enough to butt in after seeing Hwang Jeong-Hu’s expression. Jo Gyu-Min obediently clamped his mouth shut.

“We’ll source a cargo plane as you want. And only load it halfway to give you guys enough room. However, in case you get caught, we’ll deny any and all involvement. You’ll be on your own, okay?”

—Of course, Chairman! There’s nothing I can ask for if you do this for us!

“Good. This will work out perfectly for both of us, then.”

Jo Gyu-Min’s eyes powerfully quaked as he listened.

‘Oh, no! This is not what’s supposed to happen!’

Why was Chairman Hwang responding this way despite all the in-depth explanations? Jo Gyu-Min’s figure began quivering erratically.

—Thank you, Chairman! Then, please forgive me for this rudeness, but may I ask you to fast-track the preparations? We’re in a race against time, you see…?

“Of course, of course. I get it. Then, I’ll get it done as soon as possible.”

—Thank you so much, sir! Then, well…

“Hold on, fella,” Hwang Jeong-Hu abruptly called out when Lee Hyeon-Su showed signs of ending the call.

—Sir?

“It’s a bit too early to hang up, don’t you think? After all, this negotiation has only just begun.”

—N-negotiation, sir?

“Indeed. Demanding a corporation like ours to do something for you obviously means you want to do business with us, now doesn't it?”

-…!

“Well, then. We are willing to do everything you ask of us. So, you make your offer. How much are you going to pay?”

-A-are we talking about actual money, Chairman?

“Fella…” Hwang Jeong-Hu’s voice suddenly grew cold. “Were you trying to use me for free?”

What followed after that was utter silence. Not even a peep from the other side of the line!

...And that was precisely when Jo Gyu-Min felt the fountain of refreshment go off in his heart.

‘Chaaaaaaairmaaaaaaan!’

For a moment there, Jo Gyu-Min thought he heard the system message window pinging him about his Loyalty stat going up!

‘Yes! This is what I’m talking about!’

In the meantime, Hwang Jeong-Hu continued to speak, his voice sounding still affable but patience-rapidly-running-out kind of way.

“Huhuhuh. Well, now. This sure is unbelievable. Throughout my life, I've made many, many deals. Some of them didn't work out, while some others were roaring success stories. However, never in my life did I think I'd run into a fella who wanted to use me without paying any compensation! Young man, do you see Jaegyeong as your personal errand boy or something?”

—Definitely not, sir! I would never dare. I haven’t let go of my senses, after all.

“Yes. Yes, that’s how it’s supposed to be. At least for a moral person, that is. Now then, tell me. How much will you pay us?”

—H-how about, uh…

“How about?”

—H-how about a billion won…?[1]

“One billion? Did you really say a billion to me?”

—…

“Hah. Hahaha. Today I learned that someone wants to use my abilities for a measly one billion. Fine. Let's end this call, shall we? It seems you're not the right person to discuss this matter with. Since that's the case, I'll call Jin-Ho directly.”

—N-no, sir! Chairman, wait! I would never think a billion is enough to move you, sir! It's just that this is my first time negotiating such a thing, so I can't estimate what might be the appropriate offer to make. Please forgive me. I'm sorely lacking in this regard, so please allow me to learn from you, sir!

“Tsk, tsk… Goodness me. Then again, you're not from the business side of the world, so I'm not surprised to hear that dealings like this are a little foreign to you. In that case, let's see… Hmm? But why should I explain this to you?”

Hwang Jeong-Hu silently sent a signal to Jo Gyu-Min, prompting the latter to loudly respond, a beaming grin etched on his face. “Of course you don't have to, sir! Allow me to estimate the cost and finish the negotiation on your behalf!”

“Good, good. Then, once you two gents arrive at a suitable price, come to me again. I'll okay it afterward.”

“Of course, sir!” Jo Gyu-Min nodded deeply, then picked up the phone. “Then, I’ll report back to you as soon as the negotiation is over and done with.”

“Mm. Our customers seem to be in a rush, so get it done ASAP, Gyu-Min.”

“Yessir!” Jo Gyu-Min bowed his head ninety degrees. His gesture amply demonstrated his undying respect and loyalty toward Hwang Jeong-Hu. “Sir! Please excuse me!”

“Mm. Later.” Hwang Jeong-Hu smiled and airily waved his hand goodbye.

Jo Gyu-Min sneakily dabbed the tears of gratitude with his sleeves while leaving the Chairman’s office. However, as soon as his feet hit the corridor, he had to urgently block his mouth to stifle a peal of laughter from exploding into the open.

After holding his laughter back, Jo Gyu-Min spoke into the phone again. “You heard him.”

—…!

“So, how much are you paying?”

—Listen here, Gyu-Min.

“Uh-huh!” Jo Gyu-Min firmly put his foot down. Of course, it was only his voice that sounded firm and business-like. His expression was so distorted from trying to hold back another laughter that he had to cover his mouth again. “Chief Lee, this is not a private discussion but a negotiation between two companies! Even if we're close acquaintances, you mustn't call me by my name during official negotiations.”

—...Fine. Chief Jo. Are you happy now?

“But of course,” Jo Gyu-Min replied while leisurely heading to the rooftop. After emerging from the stairwell, he mouthed a fresh cigarette and cheerfully lit it up.

‘Kyah~! So damn refreshing!’

The cigarette tasted incredibly good for some reason today!

“Okay, so. How much will you pay?”

—W-well, you know our financial situation is…

“...Absolutely robust!”

—…

“Kyah~! Even I had no idea the Assembly was that loaded, you know? I've been worried about Jaegyeong's finances looking a bit lean lately, so this is great timing. If you can, please prepare cash, Chief Lee. Well, assets are still fine, though.”

—You son of a b*tch.

“Sorry? What was that? You don’t want to negotiate anymore?”

—N-no, Chief Jo. Of course not. It’s just that I can’t think of how much to offer…

Jo Gyu-Min smirked. “It's simple enough to calculate. Let's imagine how much losses we will incur in case your side gets caught. Ten percent of that, and we'll be willing to go on this adventure with you guys. However, I must make one thing clear here. Asking for a measly ten percent is totally unheard of. It's just that I've reduced the estimate as much as possible to save you and Mister Jin-Ho some face.”

—...I see. And how much is that ten percent, then?

“Hmm. Around… Thirty billion won?”[2]

—What the f*ck, you son of a b*tch?! It's only gonna be a small group of people, but you want how much now?! Thirty f*cking billion?! Thirty billion?! You! How dare you call yourself a human being?!

“Ehheeei! What are you even saying, Chief Lee! This is unlike any other transportation job we’ve ever done. Our company’s reputation is at stake here, you know? In that case, thirty billion is considerably cheap.”

—Still, t-thirty billion is out of the question. That’s gonna put us in a bind for the whole year, man. No way. Besides, I don’t handle payments that big. In that case, thirty billion isn’t gonna happen.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk! Why all this whining, Chief Lee? Oh, well. It's not like we're strangers, anyway. If that is too difficult for you, I can reduce the asking price under one condition. How about ten billion won? Is that manageable?”[3]

—Can't you reduce it a bit more?

“Whaaat? Isn’t this daylight robbery? We can always hang up if you don’t want to negotiate in good faith.”

—N-no, wait! Fine! Ten billion won! We’ll pay, okay!

Jo Gyu-Min smirked deeply. The target had bitten the bait. “However… Now that I think about it, there is one other way to reduce the cost even further.”

—Really? There is a way?

“Yes, there is. And when I think about it, it's not that difficult to pull off, either. Do this one thing, and I'll do my absolute best to reduce the risk factor, which will lower the price even further. However, it might be a little uncomfortable for you, though.”

—Huh? Uncomfortable? What way is this?

“It's simple, really. All you have to do is say this one thing for me.”

-Huh?

“Hyung-nim.”

—Yeah, I’m still here. What do you want me to say?

“No, hang on. I want you to say hyung-nim. To me.”

-…!

Jo Gyu-Min thought he could hear the distinct noises of the phone shaking around coming from the other side of the line. And this moment felt incredibly cathartic to him. All the pent-up stress from Lee Hyeon-Su's bullying got washed away in an instant!

“I mean, it’s not that difficult, right? Come, come. Just say it out loud only this once, Chief Lee. And that will make the negotiation so much easier for both of us. I wouldn’t cheat my junior, you know? So, repeat after me. Hyung-nim.”

—Hyung-nim.

A calm, flat voice came from the phone’s speaker. There wasn’t any hesitation whatsoever. And when Jo Gyu-Min heard that voice, he felt his heart tumble to the pit of his stomach.

Was it because the other side replied so quickly? Of course not!

If Jo Gyu-Min’s hearing was still functioning properly, that voice didn’t belong to Lee Hyeon-Su!

—Chief Jo?

Why was this dude suddenly butting in now?!

Jo Gyu-Min froze up like a rat in front of a cat when Kang Jin-Ho’s voice came out of the phone’s speaker.

—You seem to be having fun.

“N-no, well, uh…”

-I’ll negotiate with Chairman Hwang directly. You can continue chatting with Chief Lee, then.

“…”

Jo Gyu-Min carefully pressed his ear to the phone. He could hear Kang Jin-Ho using his own phone to call someone. However, the sound of that particular phone call quickly grew too faint to hear. And then…

—...Where are you, Gyu-Min?

A voice seemingly coming from the mouth of a devil climbing out of the netherworld’s depth dug painfully into Jo Gyu-Min’s hearing. Of course, that devil’s name was Lee Hyeon-Su!

Being too full of oneself and getting carried away could utterly ruin a man’s life. Jo Gyu-Min learned that painful lesson today.

1. At the time of TLing, that’s around $724K. ☜

2. That is around $21.8 million US. ☜

3. Around $7.25 million US. ☜