Chapter 36: Tempo (5)

Translator: Dreamscribe

Go Chun-seok, a towering man over 190 centimeters tall, was stunned. His eyes went wide and his mouth hung slightly open. His brain had stopped processing. He looked like a broken bear.

Because he was that shocked.

A moment ago, he'd been thinking briefly about the other world, and now, out of nowhere, someone who shouldn't be here was standing right in front of him. The Commander of the Mercenary Corps. Instead of answering Kang Jae-ha's question about whether he'd eaten.

-Swish.

He rubbed his eyes. Then looked again. Jae-ha hadn't disappeared. Go Chun-seok spoke again.

"...Commander? Is that really you, Commander?"

Kang Jae-ha stepped closer and smiled faintly.

"Yeah, it's me."

"???"

For a second, Go Chun-seok wondered if it was a dream. The voice of a woman cut abruptly through his thoughts.

【Comrade encounter confirmed.】

【The comrade (subordinate) has awakened thanks to Kang Jae-ha-nim's achievement of the Other World objective.】

The woman's voice addressed both Jae-ha and Go Chun-seok. Kang Jae-ha took it in stride. Go Chun-seok flinched.

【'Absolute Obedience' is now applied to the comrade (subordinate) who has encountered the Commander, toward Kang Jae-ha.】

Once the woman's voice finished explaining 'Absolute Obedience', Go Chun-seok, who had waited several dozen seconds, finally met Jae-ha's eyes. The shock still lingered in his gaze.

"Commander... sir. I honestly don't understand what's happening."

"You don't, huh?"

"...No, sir. Why you're here, and what that 'Absolute Obedience' I just heard was."

It was then that Lee Chan-hoo cut in.

"Been a while..."

"Uh, yeah."

"You can just call me Lee Chan-hoo."

"...I'm Go Chun-seok."

"I know."

Kang Jae-ha gave Go Chun-seok a casual once-over as they talked.

'His physique's the same as ever.'

That grotesque bulk was identical in this world and the other. When his expression went blank, he gave off a terrifying aura. At a glance, the taciturn Go Chun-seok looked like nothing short of a monster, but surprisingly, he had a simple and soft side underneath.

'Though once he snaps, he's a nightmare to stop.'

After Lee Chan-hoo gave him a rough summary of the situation, Go Chun-seok asked Jae-ha,

"So...Commander, you were originally from this side too. And Lee Chan-hoo and I both woke up here again thanks to you."

"More or less."

"Thank you. And you're incredible, sir. As expected, you pulled something off."

His serious tone was the same as ever, Kang Jae-ha thought, scratching his jaw.

"Forget it. Anyway, this isn't a great place to get into the details. Let's move. So, have you eaten? Late-night snack, anything?"

"...Not yet, sir."

"Let's go."

As Kang Jae-ha started to move, a man's voice cut in from behind.

"Hey."

A man in a suit with a heavy build came walking over. "Heavy" was more accurate than "well-built". He was one of the guys from the gangster office Go Chun-seok had visited. The hulking gangster trudged up and planted himself in front of Go Chun-seok. He was slightly shorter than Go Chun-seok.

"Boss wants to see you again. Come with me."

"......"

When Go Chun-seok didn't move, the gangster's brow furrowed and he spat a curse.

"I said come with me, you fuck. And wipe that look off your face, don't get cocky. Talking down to the boss, you piece of shit."

Clearly Go Chun-seok had rubbed him the wrong way back at the office. Jae-ha pegged him as mid-level brass, maybe. Whatever. Irritated, Kang Jae-ha waved him off.

"Go. Don't get yourself hurt."

Veins bulging on his forehead, the hulking gangster glared at Jae-ha.

"The fuck is this asshole. Ha, you're driving me nuts. Hey, who the hell told you to butt in, I'll rip your fucking mouth open."

The gangster reached out roughly to grab Kang Jae-ha's shoulder. But he didn't get the chance. The narrow-eyed Lee Chan-hoo stepped in front of Jae-ha and caught his hand.

-Thunk.

Lee Chan-hoo grinned and spoke.

"Hey buddy, bad manners, huh?"

He twisted the gangster's arm sharply. At the same time, he drove his right foot into the man's shin with a short, sharp kick. The gangster grunted and staggered, and then a huge hand clamped around his throat.

"Grrgk!"

After Lee Chan-hoo came Go Chun-seok. Go Chun-seok gripped the gangster's throat and slowly lifted him. Suspended in midair, the gangster drooled helplessly.

"Grrk-aghk!"

His eyes began to roll back. Had it been mentioned before? Kang Jae-ha and his subordinates had returned to this world, but the techniques, instincts, abilities, and experience for killing hadn't vanished with the trip. Sure, it wasn't exactly 100% the same, but a pig of a gangster like this? Easy work.

Kang Jae-ha let out a heavy sigh and issued an order to Go Chun-seok.

"Enough. Let him go."

"Yes, sir."

Go Chun-seok tossed the gangster aside like a doll. Sprawled on the ground, the gangster twitched but didn't look dead. After studying him briefly, Kang Jae-ha asked Go Chun-seok, unbothered,

"What do you want to eat?"

Moving on.

While they were driving, Lee Chan-hoo asked Kang Jae-ha,

"That pig back there, you really gonna just leave him like that? It's gonna be a pain."

Jae-ha pointed at the clear plastic file in Lee Chan-hoo's hand. Specifically, at the person in the photo inside it.

"Find out where that guy is."

"Easy enough."

"Let the gangster small fry fight it out among themselves."

Quick on the uptake, Lee Chan-hoo smiled.

"Ah, so we're just tossing the cleanup over to them."

"Right."

Go Chun-seok, not quite following, got an explanation from Lee Chan-hoo, who tapped the photo inside the plastic file.

"Target that gangster had you hired to hit. Obviously the target's gonna be the head or a senior member of a rival gang. So we throw the job at that rival boss instead. Say the first guy put you up to taking him out. Something like that."

"Ah, so they won't just sit on their hands."

"Exactly. War or whatever. They'll go at each other."

The gangster who hired Go Chun-seok had told him to cripple the target, break his legs, etc. That was tantamount to a declaration of war. So the gangster who placed the order was now likely to get crippled himself.

As if he had no interest in any of that, Kang Jae-ha crossed his arms.

Dumping the job onto the targeted gangster didn't take long. Lee Chan-hoo located him with his 'Search', handed over the plastic file, gave a brief explanation of the situation, and that was it. Lee Chan-hoo, face concealed, handled the job.

Next, Kang Jae-ha and his subordinates arrived at the 'MEG' office.

Time had already slipped past midnight.

Go Chun-seok's choice for late-night food was jjimdak. After Lee Chan-hoo finished placing the order, Kang Jae-ha asked Go Chun-seok, who sat across from him,

"So, tell me about your situation."

Jae-ha already knew a great deal about Go Chun-seok's circumstances through 'Deja Vu' and Lee Chan-hoo's research. He knew Chun-seok was different from Kim Ho-yeon. But he judged it better to hear it from Go Chun-seok directly.

After sitting in serious silence for a moment, Go Chun-seok lifted his head.

"......I needed money."

Go Chun-seok continued in a low, fairly calm voice. From the moment he'd woken up again in this world until now.

"At first it was chaos. The one who pulled me out of it...was my grandmother."

He said that even on the other-world side, his grandmother had been his first thought. He'd tried as hard as he could to return quickly, but it hadn't been easy, and by the time enough time had passed, he'd half given up.

Listening quietly to Go Chun-seok's explanation, Kang Jae-ha crossed his legs.

"You needed money because of your grandmother, and adjusting to reality wasn't easy in comparison. So you turned to the gang that scouted you."

"That's right. It was never easy to begin with, but coming back made it harder."

"Yeah, makes sense."

Jae-ha answered loosely, then changed the subject.

"How much money do you need?"

"Sorry?"

"How much are we talking about, the amount that had you getting tangled up with a gang."

"...What I need is about 30 million won."

"Is that enough to cover your grandmother's hospital bills and everything else?"

"Yes, for now."

"Not for now. Worst case, how much do you need."

"Around 50 million would...but that would be later on."

"Got it. I'll lend it to you."

Go Chun-seok's eyes suddenly went wide.

"...?"

"I said I'll lend it to you."

"C, Commander. It's 50 million won, not 50,000."

"I know. I'm not saying I'll just give it to you. Of course you have to pay it back. Pay me 100,000 won a month, 500,000, whatever. No deadline. But I will get every last won out of you before you drop dead."

It was called a loan, but effectively it was a loan with no interest and no deadline. 50 million won was real money. But for Kang Jae-ha, the value of a subordinate was worth far more than that.

'I could just give it to him outright, but it's better to plant the goal of paying it back.'

Kang Jae-ha muttered inwardly and uncrossed his legs.

"Loaning you the money is one thing. You interested in working with me?"

"Work, sir?"

Jae-ha gave Go Chun-seok a basic briefing. The sequence was similar to what he'd done with Ha Yeon-ji. Lee Chan-hoo chimed in with notes about 'MEG' along the way. After hearing the explanation, admiration showed on Go Chun-seok's face.

"As expected...the Commander is a monster. You adapted right away."

Despite the beast-like appearance, Go Chun-seok delivered a genuinely pure, earnest compliment. Kang Jae-ha, for his part, was used to his way of speaking.

"You in? Of course, you don't have to be. It has nothing to do with 'Absolute Obedience', you're free to live your own life. Oh, and your salary will be separate from the loan."

"......"

Go Chun-seok fell silent for several dozen seconds. Finally, he managed to speak.

"I apologize, Commander. Would it be all right if I looked after my grandmother first?"

"Sure. In that state, you wouldn't be able to focus anyway. Take care of your grandmother first. You can give me your answer later."

Go Chun-seok stood up and bent at the waist in a ninety-degree bow.

"I sincerely thank you, Commander."

Kang Jae-ha waved him off, as if to say enough.

"That's too much. Just eat and go."

It was at that moment that the jjimdak arrived.

The next morning. The 12th.

Kang Jae-ha walked into the Team 4 team leader's office alongside General Manager Kim Dae-yong as he clocked in. Team Leader Jang Hyung-su, who had been yawning, turned his head. He was still as scrawny as ever and looked like he hadn't slept in days.

"Oh, what brings you two in together? So early."

General Manager Kim Dae-yong grinned and looked at Kang Jae-ha. The look said, you tell him. It was a bit of a hassle, but Jae-ha spoke up casually enough.

"It's about 'Condensation'."

"Uh huh, 'Condensation'. Editing's done, right? Did you figure out where it's going?"

"It's been officially invited to the Busan International Film Festival's 'Wide Angle' section, Competition Section."

"......Huh?"

Team Leader Jang Hyung-su froze and asked again. He wore the face of a man who thought he'd misheard.

"Wha, where?"

This time, General Manager Kim Dae-yong answered for him.

"The Busan International Film Festival's 'Wide Angle' section, Team Leader! Official Selection in the Competition Section, no less!"

"...Huh? 'Condensation' did?"

"Yes!!"

"You're not messing with me??"

"We are not!!"

"......"

Team Leader Jang Hyung-su looked back and forth between Jae-ha and General Manager Kim Dae-yong, then shot up to his feet.

"Whaaaa??!!"

A miracle had just become reality.

About fifteen minutes later. The CEO's office at Leon Entertainment.

A man with a long jaw sat on the sofa, giving a report to CEO Han Tae-sung. It was Director Kim Chul-joong. However, a shade of anxiety hung over Director Kim Chul-joong's face.

"...The results for this year's 'Busan International Film Festival' invitations are in."

"Hmm, and? What are they?"

Director Kim Chul-joong couldn't answer right away. After gauging his boss's expression, he forced himself to speak.

"Of the three works...two were rejected, and one was selected for the Non-competition Section."

CEO Han Tae-sung rested his chin on his hand.

"Two out of three gone, only one survived. And not even the Competition Section, the Non-competition Section."

"Y, yes, sir."

Naturally, the works Director Kim Chul-joong was referring to were the winning entries from the New Business Team's contest. Wearing a peculiar smile, CEO Han Tae-sung stared at Director Kim Chul-joong in silence.

About ten seconds of that.

CEO Han Tae-sung broke the silence.

"Director Kim."

"Yes, yes! Sir."

"You should count all three works as dead."

"Sir?"

"Even that one that survived? Leon pulled strings for it. I greased some wheels at the 'Busan International Film Festival'."

"Ah."

"And only one made it through anyway. And only Non-competition at that. So they all went down."

Director Kim Chul-joong's eyes widened and he bowed his head low.

"I'm so sorry, sir!! I have no excuse to offer."

"I didn't want excuses. I wanted results."

At that moment.

-Knock knock.

A knock echoed through the CEO's office, and the sharp-looking chief secretary entered. He glanced toward Director Kim Chul-joong, and CEO Han Tae-sung nodded.

"It's fine. Speak."

The chief secretary stepped up beside his boss and opened his mouth.

"Sir, I just confirmed something with Team 4."

"Team 4?"

"Yes. Condensation's destination was the 'Busan International Film Festival'."

Unable to stop himself, Director Kim Chul-joong raised his voice.

"What??!"

Then he flinched and looked at CEO Han Tae-sung. The head of Leon wore an intrigued smile.

"And?"

"'Condensation' has received an Official Selection to the 'Wide Angle' section, Competition Section."

CEO Han Tae-sung let out a small laugh and replied,

"Turns out the real main course was somewhere else entirely."

Murmuring to himself, he pictured Kang Jae-ha's stoic face.

"Was he aiming at the 'Busan International Film Festival' from the very beginning?"

"That isn't certain, sir."

"No, I'm sure of it. Kang Jae-ha picked that one up himself and steered it toward the 'Busan International Film Festival'. He was confident."

Otherwise he wouldn't have stuck two actresses into 'Condensation', Han Tae-sung reasoned. He turned his gaze onto the stunned Director Kim Chul-joong.

"Director Kim, you know the 'Wide Angle' section."

"O, of course, sir."

"Right. It's the main event for the short film category at the 'Busan International Film Festival'. Director Kim, did you know 'Condensation' was submitted to the New Business Team's contest?"

"...Sorry?"

"A mere fourth-year manager just beat out you and the other directors."

That the fourth-year manager had also put a leash around his neck was something Director Kim Chul-joong could not bring himself to say. CEO Han Tae-sung then gave instructions to the chief secretary.

"Tell the PR Team to push the marketing for 'Condensation'. The 'Busan International Film Festival' will do their own, but we can add some weight. Include the fact that Kang Jae-ha pulled it off. Let the company know internally too."

"Understood."

Next came Director Kim Chul-joong's turn, looking like his world had collapsed.

"The losses on those three works this round, Director Kim, you cover them."

The uproar that swept through Leon Entertainment following Condensation's Official Selection to the 'Busan International Film Festival' came right after.

"Did you hear? Kang Jae-ha in Team 4 pulled off something crazy??"

"Yeah, yeah! I heard it from PR Team too! He totally hit the jackpot??! I was blown away!! 'Busan International Film Festival'. Whoa, that's a first for Leon, right? Getting an official invitation to the 'Busan International Film Festival'."

"Right, first time! And I hear Kang Jae-ha's whole image has completely changed?"

"Huh? Did he go through some kind of awakening??"

Kang Jae-ha's presence had skyrocketed.