Chapter 502: Creating the Blueprint (2)
“Your name is Zhang Dajing?” Vator asked sharply.
The personal assistant, Zhang Dajing, quickly nodded. “Yes, Sir Vator.”
“Very well. I'll leave it to you.”
Zhang Dajingg deeply bowed at Vator. 'As I thought, this noble warrior is different from the rest...'
Was it because Vator came from a different country? Or was his mindset simply different from the rest? Zhang Dajing wasn't sure. However, he was still sure about Vator being different from every other high-ranking official he had served until now.
The Chinese demanded absolute loyalty and submission from their subordinates, but Vator didn't do that. He granted full authority to people under him and didn't mind following their recommendations and requests.
To those who valued their pride even more than their lives, assuming such an attitude was utterly unthinkable. This arrangement certainly made things more convenient for someone like Zhang Dajing. However, it also demanded so much responsibility from him.
'Since responsibility is being demanded of me, I shall splendidly answer it!'
Despite the pressure, Zhang Dajing actually preferred this way of handling things.
“Sir Vator. I give you my word that it shall be done.” Zhang Dajing solemnly nodded. Since he was entrusted to do things right, he should not disappoint Vator! After reaffirming his resolve, Zhang Dajing cautiously raised his voice. “Besides that... Is there anything about your stay in Korea not to your liking, Sir Vator?”
Vator suddenly tutted. “Explain something to me, Zhang Dajing. Do all Koreans eat such a tiny amount of food?”
“...I beg your pardon?” Zhang Dajing grew stupefied just then. Due to the nature of his work, he got to travel to various countries around the globe, but... But never did he think the Koreans were small eaters. Not even once. And no one raised that point before, either. Not until now, that was.
Vator continued to complain. “Ordering room service gets me nowhere. The meals they brought me were pitiful, to say the least. Not even enough to feed a mouse! And the dishes didn't suit my palate, either.”
Zhang Dajing frowned deeply. “I see. That was a serious oversight on my part, sir. My apologies. I should've anticipated something like this...!”
“It'd be great if I could get to taste my mother nation's cuisine in this place. I'll leave the arrangements to you.”
“Yes, sir!” Zhang Dajing hurriedly shot up to his feet and took out his phone.
However, before he could walk away to hold a conversation over the phone, Vator stopped him first. “Oh, and by the way...!”
“Yes, Sir Vator!”
“Meals are one thing, but let's not forget about snacks, shall we? While you're heading to the counter, order me the desserts.”
“I-I see, sir. Which one would you like?”
“All of them.”
“...!” Zhang Dajing worked very hard to stop his cheeks from twitching just then.
Vator pointed to the menu boards behind the counter. “I want stuff appearing on those photos. Every single one of them.”
“...Of course, sir.” Zhang Dajing trudged toward the cafe's counter while wondering if this operation would be scuppered by the food bills first!
***
“N-no, wait a sec... Mister Bang Jin-Hun!” Jo Gyu-Min hurriedly raised his voice, hoping to get a hold of this situation before it went even further out of control. “Did you say you'll support Mister Jin-Ho to the best of your abilities?”
“Yes, I did,” Bang Jin-Hun replied without a moment's hesitation. It seemed he hadn't noticed all those desperate hints Jo Gyu-Min was giving out earlier. In fact, Bang Jin-Hun didn't stop there and tried to explain himself even more! “Let me be frank here. My pride as the Martial Assembly Master has been wounded a bit recently. It looks like you're utterly clueless about how much influence the Martial Assembly exerts on South Korea, Mister Jin-Ho. Our influence extends well beyond the hidden world and into the political arenas and business sectors on the surface world, gentlemen. Besides the several shell companies operated by us, we also own large shares of the top corporations in the country. Not in the Assembly's name, of course.”
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Bang Jin-Hun slowly turned his head and stared at Jo Gyu-Min next.
“And yes, that means Jaegyeong, as well.”
“...Mm.” Jo Gyu-Min grimaced a little. He did expect something like this, but hearing the confirmation from the proverbial horse's mouth still sent shivers down his spine. What could be the actual percentage of Jaegyeong's shares that the Assembly owned? That thought alone was enough to scare Jo Gyu-Min.
“Of course, I have no desire to butt into the company's daily operation,” said Bang Jin-Hun. “Hunting dogs are meant to hunt, after all. And pets should just wag their tails and act like pets. Even if we are shareholders, we don't want to thoughtlessly interfere and drive the company into bankruptcy or something like that.”
That was when Lee Hyeon-Su, who had joined the discussion not too long ago, suddenly butted in. “Actually, we're talking from experience here. One of the companies did go out of business that way, you see?”
“...Yeah, that's true.” Bang Jin-Hun tutted loudly. “Don't pin that one on me, though. Blame the former Assembly Master Lee Jung-Geol for that, okay?”
“Yes, yes.” Lee Hyeon-Su chuckled happily after his gentle teasing had worked.
Bang Jin-Hun frowned unhappily, however. “Hey, don't talk like you're guilt-free about this, either! Didn't Yeongnam Group also screw up some other company before?”
“That incident was before my time, Assembly Master.”
“Well, that's the same story as me, then!”
Lee Hyeon-Su's chuckling intensified. “But Assembly Master... Weren't you already working for the Assembly back then?”
Bang Jin-Hun's frown deepened. “Listen, you! I wasn't even a director back then, so what was I supposed to do? I was merely doing as told, you know!”
Jo Gyu-Min finally stepped in to stop the duo's bickering. Then, he tried to steer the conversation back on track. “Hold on for a second, please. Let's get back to what we were talking about. Okay, so... Were you serious about supporting Mister Jin-Ho's foundation with the full might of the Martial Assembly?”
“Yes,” Bang Jin-Hun replied with a refreshing straightforwardness.
Jo Gyu-Min slapped his forehead despite his efforts to stay calm. “How can you unilaterally decide that, Mister Jin-Hun?”
“Don't worry about that, Mister Gyu-Min. The Martial Assembly is an autocracy, you see? My words are the law around here,” Bang Jin-Hun muttered rather proudly.
“And it's extremely archaic, isn't it?” Lee Hyeon-Su grumbled softly from the side. Bang Jin-Hun didn't seem to care, though, judging from his 'So What?' expression.
“...In any case. Shouldn't you, at the very least, consider the pros and cons before making the decision, Mister Jin-Hun?” Jo Gyu-Min urgently asked again.
“Consider pros and cons, you say?”
“Yes!” Jo Gyu-Min gulped in nervousness. How should he phrase his argument so that it could go down smoothly with his audience? “The truth about foundations is that despite needing to make lots of investment, you don't get any returns. You spend a lot of money, but there is no profit to speak of! A normal corporation would operate a foundation as a ploy to improve the public's perception of them, but the Martial Assembly can't afford to do that. Am I wrong?”
“Well, no, you're right.”
“So, this business will cost a lot of money but give you zero benefits. Even then, you still wish to support Mister Jin-Ho unreservedly?”
Bang Jin-Hun smirked while staring straight at Jo Gyu-Min. “What's this? I thought you came here to convince us to invest in this project? Why are you suddenly worried about us, Mister Gyu-Min?”
“No, it's just that... I mean, we don't want to be the culprits responsible for messing up the Martial Assembly's finances, that's all!”
“Hah, no need to worry yourself about that, Mister Gyu-Min. We're richer than you think. If you're wondering how rich, well...” Bang Jin-Hun glanced at Lee Hyeon-Su. “How rich are we, anyway?”
“...Assembly Master, at least try to be more knowledgeable about the Assembly's financial situation. Please!”
“And why should I when you're here? Besides, you'd say I'm running my mouth off on a subject I have no idea about even if I do know!”
“Well, you do have a point there.” Lee Hyeon-Su shrugged.
“Say what, you brat!”
Lee Hyeon-Su roundly ignored Bang Jin-Hun and addressed Jo Gyu-Min and Kang Jin-Ho instead. “Since we're not a corporation, the comparison won't be straightforward, but... Let's just say that all of Jaegyeong's assets still won't be enough to match the funds we can move at short notice.”
“It's that much?” Jo Gyu-Min sucked in a deep breath.
“If the Assembly had invested all of its profits in raising talented individuals or shoring up its combat force, the Yeongnam Group would have never caught up even with the investment from the Chinese. The Assembly had famously hoovered up all the riches found in the criminal world when the country was still trying to stand on its two feet post-war, you see. Before you ask, yes, all of our finances have already been laundered into something more legally acceptable,” said Lee Hyeon-Su. He then pouted a little in dissatisfaction. “However, I have to voice my opposition here, Assembly Master. When you said you'd support Mister Jin-Ho, just how much support are we even talking about here?”
Bang Jin-Hun crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat. “If we have a hundred bucks lying around, we should give Mister Jin-Ho ninety.”
“...?! Assembly Master, what the...!”
“If you are unhappy about it, why don't you become the Assembly Master?”
“...Mm.”
Bang Jin-Hun only needed a second or two to silence Lee Hyeon-Su's opposition, then addressed his guests with a much-graver attitude. “Let me be honest with you two. If it hadn't been for you, Mister Jin-Ho, I believe the Martial Assembly would've been finished. Destroyed. The odds of Kim Seok-Il uniting the South Korean martial society would've been pretty high if that happened. Mister Jin-Ho, you seem to be oblivious to this, but...! Every South Korean martial artist should kowtow before you just for preventing that horrible scenario from coming to reality. That includes me, too.”
“Mm…” Lee Hyeon-Su almost said something just then, but he chose to keep quiet and nod instead. Bang Jin-Hun was right, at least on this topic, after all!
No one knew Kim Seok-Il better than Lee Hyeon-Su. And this insight allowed him to predict how horrible it would've been for everyone if Kim Seok-Il had united South Korea.
Without a doubt, the South Korean martial society would've entered one of the darkest periods in its history. Not only that, but there was the foreign investment aspect to consider; South Korea would've been half-colonized by its neighbor as the price for the Yeongnam Group's meteoric rise.
'Indeed, Bang Jin-Hun is right about all of this...'
Lee Hyeon-Su viewed Bang Jin-Hun in a renewed light just then. Something Lee Hyeon-Su had failed to recognize was accurately seen through by Bang Jin-Hun's sharp discernment, proving that the current Assembly Master should never be underestimated.
“I know I have a ton of debt, and not being able to repay even a small percentage has been weighing heavily on my mind. Nothing is as frustrating as owing someone who has everything, like power and money, but doesn't want to use them. So... If I can use this opportunity to repay at least a tiny bit of that debt? Who cares about the money in that case?” Bang Jin-Hun theatrically shrugged his shoulders. “And, truth be told... Mister Jin-Ho, I might be the Assembly Master, but we all know that the Assembly is basically your property now.”
“I never thought about the Assembly that way, though...” Kang Jin-Ho, who had been listening in silence until now, finally said something.
“I'm merely stating the reality. If we issue contrasting commands, I bet around eighty percent of the folks will follow yours. So yes, it doesn't matter who sits on the Assembly Master's position. The question should always be... Who holds the actual power in this place?”
Kang Jin-Ho's expression grew a little cramped as if he was put off by the idea. That was when Lee Hyeon-Su put the brakes on Bang Jin-Hun's passionate explanation by offering his take. “Of course, it doesn't mean it's fine for you to hold all the authority in the Martial Assembly, Mister Jin-Ho. The Assembly is like a giant organism. Being super-strong won't be enough to run it without encountering problems.”
Bang Jin-Hun cocked his eyebrow. “Ohh? You brat, are you finally acknowledging me?”
“Although I sometimes wish we'd have a new Assembly Master soon, we don't have much of a choice for the time being, so we'll have to make do with what we have.” Lee Hyeon-Su snarkily responded.
“What the hell? You, come outside, now! Come outside, you brat!” Bang Jin-Hun yelled as if he was ready to blow his top, forcing Kang Jin-Ho to hurriedly raise his hands and stop him.
“Okay, so. To summarize...” Jo Gyu-Min groaned loudly. “...The Martial Assembly will provide Mister Jin-Ho with unlimited support. Although, within a certain limit, I'm assuming?”
Bang Jin-Hun nodded. “Yes, that's the gist of it. However, I won't be the one deciding that limit. Please discuss the actual amount with this brat over here. Someone else is in charge of the Assembly's finances, but dealing with Lee Hyeon-Su should be easier for you since you know him.”
Kang Jin-Ho sighed while watching Bang Jin-Hun casually point at Lee Hyeon-Su. “I'm not sure how our discussion got to this point, but let me clarify something. I'm not planning to spend a lot of money on this project. Yes, the cost might gradually climb higher as time goes on. However, at the very least, the beginning will not be as splashy as you all think. I'll foot the necessary bills myself, so the support I'm talking about will initially be something else.”
“Oh, I see. In that case...?”
“I heard that running a foundation has a lot of legal and geographical hurdles to clear. So, the initial support I meant will involve dealing with those aspects…”
“Eiii... Of course we'll help you out on those things, Mister Jin-Ho. Just tell us what you need. We have plenty of law firms and National Assembly members ready to put their lives on the line and do our bidding with a single phone call, you see? We boast over half a century of expertise in greasing up politicians' palms. Yup, you could even say that the Martial Assembly is the epitome of systemic corruption.”
Kang Jin-Ho frowned slightly. “I don't think that's something you should be proud about...?”
“Mm? Don't you find it plain cool, though?”
That was when Kang Jin-Ho gave up on persuading Bang Jin-Hun. Without a doubt, this dude also had some screws missing in his head!
Bang Jin-Hun rubbed his chin. “Still, what an unexpected goal you have there, Mister Jin-Ho. A foundation, is it...?”
No matter how much he thought about it, a foundation just didn't match Kang Jin-Ho's image. A scary man like Kang Jin-Ho was overflowing with the desire to serve the public? Really? Wasn't that like watching Mother Teresa yelling, 'You sons of b*tches!' while firing an AK-47 indiscriminately?
After briefly shaking his head to expel that imagery from his mind, Bang Jin-Hun stared intently at Kang Jin-Ho. “Well, I ain't gonna tell you what to do with your free time. However, please promise me that you won't neglect the task you took up within the Assembly. We have a lot of kids who wish to learn from you and become stronger, after all.”
Kang Jin-Ho nodded slightly. “You don't have to worry about that one, Mister Jin-Hun.”
“As long as you don't forget that, we will provide you with all the support you need. The thing is, I've always wanted to do something good for the community in general but was never sure about how I could go about doing that. But you showed up just in time to grant us this opportunity. How can we refuse, in that case?”
Kang Jin-Ho smiled gently. “Thank you for saying that. I feel much more at ease now.”
“But, uh...” Bang Jin-Hun leaned forward.
“Yes?”
“When you say your foundation, what kind of foundation are we even talking about here? I mean, there must be several different types of foundations, no?”
“Well, my thoughts on this topic are...”
Everyone focused their undivided attention when Kang Jin-Ho addressed everyone in the room.
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