Chapter 44: Recruitment (2)

Translator: Dreamscribe

His subordinate Cha Chung-hyeon, spitting out the coffee he'd been drinking in a wildly excessive welcome. The fact that this man, who'd been radiating boredom the whole time, was now reacting so violently made perfect sense.

Because the Mercenary Corps Commander Kang Jae-ha had just appeared right in front of him.

"......"

Cha Chung-hyeon stared blankly up at Jae-ha standing in the doorway, then closed his eyes for a few seconds and opened them again. Kang Jae-ha was still there. Meaning this wasn't some hallucination. But still unconvinced, Cha Chung-hyeon slapped his own cheek.

-Smack!

Kang Jae-ha snickered.

"Oh, brother."

Whatever. Feeling the sting in his cheek, Cha Chung-hyeon registered that this was no dream. Only after calming down somewhat did he wipe around his mouth.

He had no choice but to accept it. The Commander, Kang Jae-ha, had appeared. And then Cha Chung-hyeon's brain promptly broke down.

"...Huh? Hm?"

He let out some bizarre sound effects.

"Ah? Wha??"

His tone wasn't particularly high. It came out kind of limp, but the shock Cha Chung-hyeon was feeling was well beyond ordinary. Apparently amused by the reactions, Kang Jae-ha smiled as he stepped into the office.

"Yeah, good to see you too."

Jae-ha casually pulled over a chair from the side of the office and sat down. Cha Chung-hyeon just stared at him, mouth hanging wide open. But the surprises weren't over yet for Cha Chung-hyeon. The seated Jae-ha pointed his index finger toward the area behind him.

Mouth still agape, Cha Chung-hyeon slowly turned his head toward the office entrance.

A massive monster of a man swished in. Go Chun-seok.

Cha Chung-hyeon shot up from his chair, mouth opening even wider.

"......Ehhhh????"

Behind the giant came narrow-eyed Lee Chan-hoo. Then Ha Yeon-ji, waving and smiling with her eyes at Cha Chung-hyeon. Now Cha Chung-hyeon was backing away.

"Ehhhhhhh???!"

Watching him from his seat, Kang Jae-ha crossed his legs and grinned.

'This guy's reactions are great.'

Go Chun-seok positioned himself behind Kang Jae-ha. Lee Chan-hoo and Ha Yeon-ji each parked themselves somewhere nearby. The Commander and his Mercenary Corps comrades had descended on him like a bolt of lightning. Faced with a situation that blew past every expectation, Cha Chung-hyeon froze with his mouth wide open.

"......"

It took several dozen seconds before he booted up again.

"Wha, what??"

Suddenly Cha Chung-hyeon brushed past the seated Kang Jae-ha and bolted to the window. Checking the view outside.

"It, it's not."

Understanding why he was looking outside, Jae-ha spoke.

"Yeah. This isn't the other world."

Meaning: this is the world you came from. Pressed against the window, Cha Chung-hyeon whipped his head around and shouted.

"Then! Why is the Commander here?! And what about the rest of you?!"

Kang Jae-ha shrugged.

"Didn't realize you were capable of reactions this big. Thought you only knew how to nap and look bored. Sit down already."

Just then.

【Comrade encounter confirmed.】

A woman's voice reached both Kang Jae-ha and Cha Chung-hyeon. Jae-ha had heard it many times by now and took it in stride. Cha Chung-hyeon's heart, on the other hand, started pounding several times harder.

【Comrades (subordinates) who have encountered the Commander will have ‘Absolute Obedience’ applied with respect to Kang Jae-ha-nim.】

【Should they violate ‘Absolute Obedience’, said comrade (subordinate) will die.】

The moment the woman's voice finished explaining 'Absolute Obedience', Cha Chung-hyeon closed his open mouth.

"......"

The shock was still there, but Cha Chung-hyeon's whole demeanor had visibly shifted. Or perhaps his original laziness was simply creeping back in. That's how it looked, but to Cha Chung-hyeon himself, this was him being serious. He abruptly bowed deeply to Kang Jae-ha and...

-Swish.

Started shuffling toward the office exit. Lee Chan-hoo and the others made no move to stop him, but the seated Kang Jae-ha called out.

"Cha Chung-hyeon. Don't run. Let's talk."

Cha Chung-hyeon stopped dead and turned his head slightly.

"...I, I still want to live. Please spare me."

"You're not gonna die, dumbass. Quit panicking and sit down."

Glancing around to read the room, Cha Chung-hyeon looked at Kang Jae-ha and thought.

'Ah, shit. Should I just bolt? No... wait, was that an order just now when the Commander told me to sit? That woman's voice... ignoring it feels too risky. Let me just listen for now.'

Calculating quickly, Cha Chung-hyeon made the choice most conducive to his survival. He slunk back to his seat. Kang Jae-ha then crossed his legs.

"It's been a while. Your face looks even more haggard, though."

A few minutes later.

Kang Jae-ha was explaining things to Cha Chung-hyeon. In a calm, steady tone. Why you'd opened your eyes back in this world, what the woman's voice had said, the matter of 'Absolute Obedience', and so on.

Lee Chan-hoo and Ha Yeon-ji chimed in here and there. Go Chun-seok just stood behind Kang Jae-ha like a great tree.

Even mid-explanation, Jae-ha said.

"Like I said, you're not going to die."

The sight of Cha Chung-hyeon's death back in the other world flashed through his mind. The base had been overrun during the war, and although Jae-ha had returned as fast as he could, Cha Chung-hyeon had already been torn to pieces. Jae-ha was the one who'd gathered up the scattered arms and legs.

"You. Do you remember the end, over in that world?"

"Nope? Not really. A demonic beast just appeared in front of me, and I figured I was fucked. That's it."

Right. Better not to remember a sight like that. Soon Cha Chung-hyeon's eyes swept over Go Chun-seok and the rest of the Mercenary Corps members.

"So basically, you're all in the same situation as me. You returned the same way, woke up here, and there could be more Mercenary Corps people out there... wow, that's actually pretty wild."

"You being this talkative is also pretty wild."

"Well, can you blame me? Look at the situation."

Around this point, Kang Jae-ha gave Ha Yeon-ji a meaningful glance. Catching it instantly, she abruptly extended a hand toward Cha Chung-hyeon.

"Anyway, nice to see you."

"Huh? Yes? Ah... yes."

"What's with the formal speech?"

"It's just, we... I mean, we weren't exactly close."

"True enough."

The moment Ha Yeon-ji finished the handshake, Kang Jae-ha looked around the empty Tax Accountant's office.

"Closing up shop?"

"...How'd you know?"

"This place doesn't look like it's running a business, no matter how I look at it."

"Ah."

Of course, Jae-ha didn't mention that he'd already finished his investigation into Cha Chung-hyeon. He changed the subject.

"Works out. I need a money guy. Someone who's good with numbers."

"You need a vault keeper, you mean."

"Right. I'm growing my money pretty fast. I want you handling it. It's similar to what you did in the Mercenary Corps. Just a different setting."

Lee Chan-hoo and Ha Yeon-ji jumped in to fill in the details. The Commander's situation, the Commander's position, the existence of 'MEG', what was being done, what was being planned, and so on. As he listened, Cha Chung-hyeon's eyes grew steadily wider.

"Wait? The Commander is... a Manager? And you came here from the Busan International Film Festival?"

"That's right."

"So 'MEG' is basically the Mercenary Corps in this world, and naturally the owner is the Commander, but your position is... kind of like a shadowy mastermind?"

"How about you come run the books for me?"

Cha Chung-hyeon glanced at the comrades surrounding the Commander, then answered.

"Ah... so including me, that's four people so far?"

Jae-ha didn't bring up Kim Ho-yeon.

"Yeah."

"There'll be more, then."

"Bothered? Like I said, it's your choice. Whether you join or not."

"Honestly, the scale is pretty big. But if I say no... will I be able to live?"

"Of course."

"And if I say I'll join."

"You'll have to work properly. Wrap up your life in Busan and move to Seoul."

"......"

Cha Chung-hyeon was silent for a moment, scratching at his drooping eyes. Mulling over something, he let out a short sigh and spoke.

"Commander, the thing is... I'm an orphan."

"And?"

"Eh? You're not really reacting."

"That kind of thing doesn't really matter to me."

"...To be precise, I have a mother. But she abandoned me. When I was little, I kept thinking she'd come back someday. She never did."

Locking eyes with Kang Jae-ha, Cha Chung-hyeon went on.

"At first I missed her, then it slowly turned into a desire for revenge. I poured that into studying, and somehow ended up becoming a Tax Accountant. I'm pretty smart, you see."

"Cut the casual bragging. Your mother."

"She never came. Hmm... but I heard rumors. Apparently she'd remarried? Started a new life. So I tried to forget her. That's around when I got pulled into the other world."

"......"

"As you know, the Mercenary Corps wasn't bad. But then I suddenly came back here, and once I was back, this strange sense of loss hit me hard. I couldn't focus on work either."

Probably the same as the other subordinates. Kang Jae-ha listened in silence without responding. Cha Chung-hyeon scratched his head.

"So about a month after I got back? Once enough time had passed, I decided to find the mother I'd forgotten about. I dunno... maybe to clear out the crap that'd been festering inside me. Something like that."

"Did you find her?"

"Not yet. I put requests in with private investigators and a few other places, but it's been a month or two with no news."

"You planning to look for her yourself?"

"For now. Probably won't find her. But I want to try as much as I can. After that, I think I'll be able to decide whether to work with you, Commander."

Jae-ha studied Cha Chung-hyeon's face for a few seconds, then glanced sideways at Ha Yeon-ji. Asking with his eyes.

'Is it true?'

Given Cha Chung-hyeon's character, there was a possibility he was lying just to wriggle out of the situation. Hence the use of Ha Yeon-ji's ability. She'd already met the conditions for her 'Smell' ability and had been sniffing for whether his words were truth or lies. What she was getting wasn't a foul stench but a sweet scent.

In other words, everything Cha Chung-hyeon said was true.

When she gave a small nod, Kang Jae-ha turned his gaze back to Cha Chung-hyeon.

"What are you going to do once you find her?"

"Hm? Dunno. Haven't thought that far. Figured I'd know once I actually saw her."

"You remember her face?"

"Strange, right? It's been so long, but I still remember her face."

There was a reason the saying 'blood is thicker than water' existed. Kang Jae-ha briefly recalled his own past, then switched the leg he had crossed.

"Your mother's name and any info."

"Huh? Why?"

"Just shut up and hand it over."

Cocking his head, Cha Chung-hyeon went over to the desk. He came back with sheets of paper. The papers contained all the information he'd gathered about his mother so far. Kang Jae-ha passed them over to Lee Chan-hoo, and Cha Chung-hyeon looked puzzled.

"Eh?"

Narrow-eyed Lee Chan-hoo closed his eyes, then opened them. It didn't take long before he looked at Cha Chung-hyeon and spoke.

"She's on Jeju Island."

"...Ehhhhh???!"

Kang Jae-ha rose smoothly from his seat and addressed Lee Chan-hoo first.

"Go with Cha Chung-hyeon."

Then he quietly murmured to Cha Chung-hyeon, whose eyes were huge and full of question marks.

"Just go see her first."

Same time, inside a 5-star hotel in Busan.

In the lounge of the upscale hotel sat CEO Han Tae-sung, in a sharp suit, his solid build still apparent beneath it. His seat was by a window with a sweeping view of the sea.

"......"

He sat quietly, lifting his coffee cup. CEO Han Tae-sung had also come to Busan because of BIFF, and was using the time to handle a few days' worth of meetings and remaining business in the area.

Just then.

-Swish.

A woman approached the seat where CEO Han Tae-sung was sitting. She wore a thin hoodie, her long straight hair tied back, and a mask covering her face. It was Yoon Da-yeon.

"What is it."

She spoke a touch curtly, and CEO Han Tae-sung gave a faint smile and gestured to the seat across from him.

"Sit down, don't just stand. People will see."

"If it's going to take a while, do it later. I have to get ready."

She was talking about the follow-up schedule that had spun off from the BIFF coverage. CEO Han Tae-sung smiled and answered.

"It won't take long."

After watching the CEO for a moment, Yoon Da-yeon let out a small sigh and sat down. Locking eyes with her, CEO Han Tae-sung opened with 'Condensation', which he'd seen at BIFF.

"'Condensation' was good. You really stood out, Da-yeon-ssi. Beyond the role itself, you completely captivated the audience as a scene-stealer."

"What is this? Flattery the moment you see me? What's the angle."

"It's not flattery. I mean it."

CEO Han Tae-sung gave a small smirk, crossed his legs, and got to the point.

"Da-yeon-ssi, your contract ends this November."

In an instant, Yoon Da-yeon's expression turned serious.

"...That's right."

CEO Han Tae-sung made his offer.

"How about a 3-year Contract Renewal? If there are conditions you want, name them."

"!!!"

In that moment, for some reason, Yoon Da-yeon thought of the impassive face of Kang Jae-ha. Because it had played out exactly as he'd said it would.

Several dozen minutes later, back at Tax Accountant Cha Chung-hyeon's office.

Cha Chung-hyeon, Lee Chan-hoo, and Go Chun-seok, who had been talking just moments ago, were nowhere in sight. Kang Jae-ha had sent the three of them off together. Of course, to go meet Cha Chung-hyeon's mother.

The ones left in the office were Kang Jae-ha and Ha Yeon-ji.

As Jae-ha rose from his seat and started looking through utility bill receipts and the like at Cha Chung-hyeon's desk, Ha Yeon-ji glanced around the empty office and spoke up.

"But Commander~ is Cha Chung-hyeon really good with this work? Back in the Mercenary Corps it always felt like he was off napping somewhere."

"There was never an issue with supplies or logistics, was there."

"Ah, was that right? You're right. There were no work-related problems, which I always thought was kind of strange."

"He looks dumb, but the substance is there."

"Hmm... well, you'd see that better than I would, Commander. And the more talented people we have right now, the better."

Then, lowering the utility bill receipt he'd been looking at, Kang Jae-ha gave instructions to wide-eyed Ha Yeon-ji.

"Ha Yeon-ji, you look into entertainment companies. Focus on small to mid-sized ones. Either on the verge of going under, or already going under. Best case: places with talent but no money. Plenty of those out there, so you'll find them quick."

"Huh? Entertainment companies? Why entertainment companies??"

Settling back into his chair, Kang Jae-ha thought of Yoon Da-yeon, An Ji-hee, and the others as he answered.

"The Washed-ups. Or, well, hard to call them washed-ups anymore. Anyway, time to start buying up the entertainment company that's going to house them under 'MEG'."

In other words, MEG's first subsidiary would be an entertainment company.

"I'm not about to do all the work just to hand the rewards to someone else."