Chapter 30: The laughing one, the angry one, the almost crazy one (1)

Translator: miraclerifle

“Who is calling you?”

“Isn’t it a number you don't know if the name isn’t popping up?”

However, Ju-Heon was looking at it as if it was annoying.

Why?

It was because Ju-Heon remembered that number.

𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

That was the case.

That number was Chairman Kwon’s number.

Furthermore, it was his personal number and not his business number. There was no way Ju-Heon who had a great memory would forget a number that had not changed for tens of years.

‘But I guess he was feeling quite rushed to call with his personal number.’

It was pretty obvious why Chairman Kwon would be calling him. That was why Ju-Heon answered without any hesitation.

“Hello.”

He started the call calmly.

The person on the other side started to speak. This was Chairman Kwon, the person who betrayed Ju-Heon like a lizard getting rid of its tail when Ju-Heon had been completely loyal to him.

[Are you Seo Ju-Heon?]

It sounded like a sincere and relaxed voice of a gentleman. It was the perfect voice for a businessman trying to get what he wanted.

“Yes, I am Seo Ju-Heon. Who is calling?”

[I am TKBM's Kwon Tae Joon.]

Most people would say don’t exaggerate when trying to commit phone fraud. It would be like getting a random call from someone claiming to be Microsoft’s Bill Gates. It might be different overseas, but TKBM and Kwon Tae Joon were two names that were at that level in Korea.

However, Ju-Heon lightly smiled and responded instead of hanging up.

“Yes, Mr. Kwon Tae Joon. What can I do for you?”

He was smiling but his tone was quite cold. Chairman Kwon started to laugh.

[Young man, we met at Midas yesterday, didn't we?]

“I'm not sure. My memory is not very good.”

[Really?]

“But your tone sounds quite rude for someone you're calling for the first time. I'm going to hang up if there's nothing to discuss.”

Ju-Heon heard Kwon Tae Joon's voice as he was about to hang up.

[I'll get right to the point. I heard that you took the tree that Irene Holten won at the action.]

It was a relaxed yet sharp voice. Ju-Heon could tell because he had watched Chairman Kwon for a long time.

The fact that he was doing this meant that he was desiring the Herb of Eternal Youth quite a bit.

[If it is okay, I would like to talk about......]

However, Ju-Heon coldly smiled and responded.

“I'm going to hang up now because I am busy. “Mr. Kwon Tae Joon of TKBM.”"

Click.

Ju-Heon threw his phone on the table as soon as he hung up the call. It was an extremely unbelievable attitude. The ones to scream in shock were the Oh Seung Woo group.

“Huh? Hold on!”

“T, TKBM?”

“Kwon Tae Joon, that Kwon Tae Joon I know about? That rich man called you?”

The name Kwon Tae Joon seemed to be familiar to them as well.

Seeing Irene Holten was enough to shock them, but now Ju-Heon was on the phone with the most famous businessman in Korea!

“This truly is Las Vegas, the city of luck!”

Ju-Heon had no idea what Las Vegas had to do with anything, but the clueless fools seemed excited. They were connected to someone who they would normally never interact with, and although it would normally not be believable, they were at the auction house yesterday as well.

It was a place wealthy colossus visited and it was decently believable because Ju-Heon had won some items at the auction yesterday.

“Why did he call you?”

Why else would it have been?

It was obvious he called after burning the candle at both ends in anger about the Herb of Eternal Youth.

Irene had won the auction, but it was easy to find out that he was the one to pick up the item after doing some research.

‘It wouldn't be weird for Chairman Kwon to connect with a Midas employee and have them give him my number.’

That wasn’t it.

He probably did some research on the size of this company as well. After learning about the company Ju-Heon came associated with, he was able to call saying he wanted to discuss a deal for the Herb of Eternal Youth.

There was no need for TKBM to be afraid of a tiny hole in the wall store. However, it was very much like the greedy Chairman Kwon to personally call about making a deal for an artifact.

‘Did he want it that badly?’

The Herb of Eternal Youth did have that much value.

However, nothing could be done.

The Herb of Eternal Youth was already his possession and he had no desire to hand it over.

“Damn it.”

Chairman Kwon was grinding his teeth as he slammed the chair. The whiskey glass that Yoon Shi Woo had just brought over fell to the auction house floor.

“C, Chairman-nim.”

The secretary and Yoon Shi Woo could only look dejectedly at their Chairman.

“Did the conversation not go well?”

Chairman Kwon continued to grind his teeth after hearing Yoon Shi Woo’s question.

Chairman Kwon and Yoon Shi Woo had both heard about the Herb of Eternal Youth's whereabouts from the secretary. Irene had won the auction, but the person who took the Herb of Eternal Youth was someone from a tiny company called Xiang Gallery.

They had no idea how bastards like that had a connection with someone like Irene Holten, but the important thing was that they were the ones to take the Herb of Eternal Youth.

That was why they were trying to make a deal for the Herb of Eternal Youth, but it had ended up like this.

“Umm, C, Chairman-nim?”

“He hung up.”

“Excuse me?”

“He hung up.”

Yoon Shi Woo turned pale after seeing Chairman Kwon’s eyebrows twitch furiously.

He had offered to make the call but Chairman Kwon had said he would make the call himself. That showed how much he desired that item.

But what happened?

They hung up?

Art broker thugs who don’t even know the basics dared to hang up on Chairman Kwon?

No wonder Chairman Kwon did not seem happy!

‘Damn it, that Seo Ju-Heon bastard, who the hell is that bastard?!’

He wanted to swear out loud and ask why the hell he needed to make Chairman Kwon angry while he was by his side, but Yoon Shi Woo did his best to smile.

“Haha. I'm sure it’s nothing. He probably hung up thinking it was a spam call.”

However, Yoon Shi Woo realized he must have said something wrong. It was because Chairman Kwon's expression changed to a different yet still angry expression.

Yoon Shi Woo who ended up saying nothing useful clenched his eyes closed and swore internally.

‘Damn it. I need to hand that Herb of Eternal Youth over to the Chairman-nim at all costs.’

He had a reason to do that.

Today was the second day of the Midas auction.

Chairman Kwon had participated since the morning, but there was no item that caught his attention. The items that would catch his attention were artifacts, but there were none visible today.

None at all!

Of course, it was not that Chairman Kwon was recognizing artifacts as Ju-Heon had done. However, maybe the best term for it would be intuition, but there were items that left longing impressions on him.

It was like walking down a street and finding an item that continues to catch your attention.

That was how Chairman Kwon selected his items, and those items were likely to be artifacts. It was all thanks to the intuition that the artifacts in Chairman Kwon's possession had brought him.

The almond tree he fervently bid against Ju-Heon yesterday had tugged strongly at his intuition.

“F*ck!”

That was why Chairman Kwon was feeling extremely angry. He had lost the Herb of Eternal Youth that had given off the strongest vibes yesterday to Irene Holten.

Yoon Shi Woo had no choice but to be wary of Chairman Kwon's mood and bit down on his lips. He was someone who had been kicked out of his family because of acting like trash until Chairman Kwon helped him make a comeback.

‘I need to win some points with Chairman Kwon.’

However...

‘The sword he won yesterday for 200 million dollars was a useless sword.’

Yoon Shi Woo had strongly urged him to win this Butcher’s Knife. However, it was just a cursed sword after trying it out.

It was the same as paying 200 million dollars to purchase shit!

Thinking about that made Yoon Shi Woo recall yesterday’s competitor. The Butcher’s Knife was an item that bastard raised the price before quitting at the last minute.

Yoon Shi Woo had no way of knowing whether 200 million was that bastard’s limit or if he was a thug who thoughtlessly raised the price on purpose without having any intentions of purchasing the item.

‘Seo Ju-Heon, Seo Ju-Heon.’

Seo Ju-Heon was probably the bastard who was next to Irene yesterday. It was because the auction house employee remembered exactly what he looked like because he was her type.

He didn’t know for sure, but he looked like a pretty face with no future. He was quite noticeable that he could easily tell who the auction house employee was talking about.

Yoon Shi Woo started to frown while thinking about that guy.

‘Is that bastard perhaps an artifact user?’

The chances were high. He had won the almond tree Chairman Kwon had been aiming for as well.

However, Yoon Shi Woo soon shook his head.

‘No.’

Irene might be an artifact user, but that bastard was probably not.

‘He even won that pumice stone used by a Hollywood actor.’

He was probably some pervert with weird kinks. Chairman Kwon had not tried hard to win that item. Yoon Shi Woo who had no way of knowing that was the Code of Hammurabi, one of the four major codes of law artifacts, quickly started to speak to Chairman Kwon.

“Chairman-nim. I guess you still have regrets over that almond tree from yesterday......”

“That tree gave off as strong of a feel as my artifact.”

“!”

Yoon Shi Woo was shocked after hearing Chairman Kwon's annoyed response.

Chairman Kwon was already in possession of a Divine-Grade artifact. There must be a condition to use it or something as he had not used it very well yet, but Chairman Kwon had been moving around gathering artifacts once he learned of their existence.

But to be at that level!

‘It was an artifact we couldn’t miss!

Damn it, it wasn't some sexual enhancer artifact!

The fact that Irene handed such an item made it seem as if she was stupid or not an artifact user.

‘Even those who are publicly amazing are regular people in front of artifact users.’

Even without that, Yoon Shi Woo had seen the powers of Chairman Kwon’s artifact. That was why he was certain that there was nobody who could defeat his future father-in-law right now.

That was how artifacts made humans arrogant.

Yoon Shi Woo’s expression changed as if he had made up his mind about something.

“Chairman-nim. I will take responsibility and go get that tree for you. I will use my artifact if I have to.”

Yoon Shi Woo's gaze was full of anger as he started to leave the room.

‘Damn bastard.

I’ll teach a lesson to that thug who doesn’t even know the basics.’

Of course, Yoon Shi Woo was already drinking water in the process of finding Ju-Heon. [1]

‘This damn bastard.’

Yoon Shi Woo was currently huffing and puffing as he walked back the way he came.

He had used his connections to locate Ju-Heon.

However, maybe it was to screw him over, but Ju-Heon only appeared at places he had already visited.

‘Damn it, there’s no reason he needs to stay in one spot I guess.’

Thanks to that, Yoon Shi Woo had to suffer more than he’s ever suffered before.

And he finally found him.

He saw the damn bastard leisurely drinking a whiskey at the bar!

“Excuse me. Are you Mr. Seo Ju-Heon?”

The bar was away from the tourist locations that it was quiet and did not have many customers.

Ju-Heon was leisurely drinking whiskey in front of the bartender while reading through articles on his laptop.

Yoon Shi Woo started to frown.

‘This bastard dared to make the Chairman-nim drink water? This young bastard?’

However, Ju-Heon only peeked at him after hearing Yoon Shi Woo ask him a question. Yoon Shi Woo became upset as that stoic expression had a gaze that seemed to be looking down on him.

On the other hand, Ju-Heon was laughing internally unlike his outward expression.

‘It looks like he's had to visit quite a lot of places to find me.’

He could easily see that Yoon Shi Woo was annoyed and angry.

‘He’s still the same.’

This bastard had huffed and puffed about how he had been pushed aside by Ju-Heon and became nothing.

Of course, he had moved around on purpose to treat Yoon Shi Woo like a stray dog.

Most importantly, there was a reason Ju-Heon had made him angry.

Yoon Shi Woo glared at Ju-Heon at that moment.

“Hey, can’t you hear me? Shouldn’t you respond when someone asks you a question?”

Yoon Shi Woo then shouted toward the bartender.

“Water. Give me some water. And I don’t care what kind of alcohol, just give me a cold one!”

He then tried to sit next to Ju-Heon.

“As for you, you twerp! We need to chat!”

He had no intentions of having a nice conversation with Ju-Heon from the beginning. He just needed to take care of him with his artifact. It was at that moment.

For some reason, Ju-Heon kicked Yoon Shi Woo and knocked him off the chair.

“Ugh!”

“S, sir!”

The bartender stopped making the drink in shock and rushed over. Yoon Shi Woo who fell over all of a sudden glared at Ju-Heon in shock.

“Hey bastard, are you crazy?!”

However, Ju-Heon who had his chin in his hands was as calm as could be.

“Sure, we can chat. But isn’t this our first time meeting each other?”

"W, what?”

Ju-Heon said that before smiling viciously.

“Then why don't you start by fixing that rotten tone of yours.”

Yoon Shi Woo's expression looked perfect to make the cover of a newspaper.

1. Making someone drink water is a Korean idiom for giving them trouble.