Please Cooperate In The Execution Of S-Class Official Duties - Chapter 54

The names of the Chief of the Mapo branch office and the Director of the Seoul regional office appeared one after another.

Supervisor Yoon hastily put down the cigarette that he’d been smoking into the ashtray.

Park Younghee’s gaze lingered on the cigarette briefly. It was a cigarette that she’d begrudgingly given, and yet the cigarette was put out even before it was finished. Yoon Hyundong, you also can’t become anyone great. Of course, she didn’t voice that thought out aloud.

“Think about it. How many S-rank hunters are there in Korea? And yet, someone with a second Awakening emerged despite the rarity. However, if an accident occurred while they kept their mouths shut without informing anyone about it.”

Park Younghee gazed into space like she was pretending to measure something, before smiling.

“An accident that occurred right in the heart of Seoul, with around 100 casualties from the onset.”

Yoon Hyundong’s mouth fell open.

“In that case, who would take the blame?”

Park Younghee smiled slyly. Yoon Hyundong looked puzzled.

In other words, Deputy Director Park meant that the accident would happen before the official announcement of the new S-class hunter. Moreover, it would be a major accident that would topple both Lee Eunjoo and Jung Yoojin.

“But the lives of the people…”

Before Yoon Hyundong could finish speaking, Deputy Director Park interjected.

“Gosh, what a wonderful person you are, Supervisor Yoon. I really admire people like you, with a heart as vast and kind as the ocean.”

This definitely wasn’t a compliment. Yoon Hyundong was rather anxious.

“But, Supervisor. You know me. I’m the type that leads a long and bland life.”

That was an absurd statement. Park Younghee in front of him could be called the embodiment of ambition. She was someone that started from an E-class and handled all sorts of accidents, working her way up to eventually deal with the Supreme Court and the National Police Agency. It was impossible to say she led a long and bland life just by looking at her track record.

However, she smiled with a meaningful glint in her eyes.

“Through my line of work, I’ve noticed that kind people tend to die young.”

“……”

In other words, it was a threat. It wouldn’t be any fun if he’d rebutted her words and become hesitant after coming all the way here. Yoon Hyundong’s face turned contemplative.

His physical ability deteriorated rapidly ever since he reached his mid-thirties. It was due to a permanent debuff that he’d received through the improper use of an item, which was done out of greed.

Originally, he should have retired at forty, the standard retirement age.

However, thanks to Deputy Director Park’s help, who’d extended her hand at just the right time, he’d come this far. The speed of his promotions were faster than others, and as such he’d taken an important position in the Seoul regional office.

In the past, there was no way that he could raise his voice at Chief Jung Yoojin during a disciplinary committee.

Park Younghee continued.

“You’d know, since you worked under Director Lee Eunjoo before. When has that entitled person cared about the people under them? No way. Don’t you know that she was born as an S-class? Only people like us, who think about others all day long, would end up dead.”

“……”

“At this rate, when are you going to become Director, and when will you become a Minister?”

Director. Minister. Yoon Hyundong’s ears perked up.

Park Younghee smiled at Yoon Hyundong as if she knew everything.

“A B-class Hunter becoming the Minister of National Defense. It’s so impressive, isn’t it?”

A chill ran down his spine.

If it was Park Younghee, she could truly put him into that position. She was the actual mistress of the Hunter Agency’s main office. Even the current Director of the main office owed his position to Park Younghee.

Some might wonder.

Why would a woman filled with so much ambition not think of becoming a Minister herself.

The reason was simple. One could never reach a high-ranking managerial position in the Hunter Agency without applied skills. It meant that as an E-class, even if her capabilities were excellent, it meant she could never rise above them.

As such, Park Younghee naturally tried to keep them under her thumb. At least she would maintain actual power in her hands. That was the plan.

However, if the current Director of the main office stepped down, the most likely candidate to succeed him would be the Director of the Seoul regional office, Lee Eunjoo.

Yoon Hyundong was also aware. About how much Park Younghee despised Lee Eunjoo. It was partly because they were peers, but it was also because their track records were too similar.

Moreover, Lee Eunjoo wasn’t someone that’s easily swayed by Park Younghee’s influence. If Lee Eunjoo became the Director of the main office, Park Younghee’s days were numbered.

From the looks of the current situation, Park Younghee, who’d been running the main office for over ten years, wouldn’t easily step down from her position.

“Our Director of the main office keeps pressuring us to achieve results so that he can become the Minister. Then, should we work ourselves to death to produce those results?”

“……”

“But if Lee Eunjoo makes even a single dungeon-related mistake, that’s it. The newspapers will be filled with Lee Eunjoo’s story for at least three days. Our Director of the main office will be bedridden for ten days.”

So, they had to catch Lee Eunjoo red-handed. If she were to resign here, she could go and start her own influential organisation, and as for money, there would be plenty of people willing to invest if she forms a guild. It wouldn’t be a laughing matter either.

As she spoke, Park Younghee waved her hand. This was to wave away the cigarette smoke.

Yoon Hyundong couldn’t help but reach out and put out the cigarette he had left untouched abruptly.

Park Younghee laughed. He wasn’t completely dull-witted either.

“Supervisor. Even if Lee Eunjoo causes trouble, the Director of the main office will handle the aftermath. And who will be left?”

Yoon Hyundong blinked. Park Younghee shrugged.

“I think you’re just right for it, Supervisor Yoon.”

“But…”

However, Deputy Director Park didn’t let Yoon Hyundong continue.

“I really hate S-class hunters. If I say something like this elsewhere, they’ll say I have an inferiority complex. But I can say this because it’s you, Supervisor Yoon. You know, I’ve lived my whole life as an E-class. And I’ve come this far.”

Park Younghee picked at the already cold dishes with her chopsticks roughly. It wasn’t so that she could eat. It was more like taking out her frustration on the food. She started pressing the ends of her chopsticks on the dishes like she’s venting her anger towards the food.

“So, I hope someone like me, who puts in effort, will become the Director of the main office. As an E-class, I can’t go any further than the position of Deputy Director. There’s no way forward.”

Her eyes glinted fiercely. They weren’t the eyes of someone that had no way forward. Yoon Hyundong felt a chill down his spine.

“From my perspective, I would prefer someone that isn’t like those entitled people, who were born as S-classes or A-classes and looked down on others from the onset. Supervisor Yoon, you’re such a good person. I’m well aware of how much you’ve endured.”

Yoon Hyundong was both embarrassed and flattered by Park Younghee’s praise. However, that didn’t mean he would intentionally cause an accident.

But he changed his mind soon afterwards. It wasn’t like he didn’t understand what Park Younghee was trying to say. He also hated S-classes and A-classes. Those b*stards that constantly looked down on others!

Jung Yoojin in particular was the worst. She always humiliated Yoon Hyundong at the drop of a hat with remarks like, “If you’re not going to be helpful, just leave after showing your face.”

Come to think of it, in her youth, Jung Yoojin had always regarded human lives to be as insignificant as flies. Her pet phrase was ‘It can’t be helped that a few sacrifices are made for the sake of the bigger picture.‘

Therefore, there was nothing Jung Yoojin could say even if she became one of the few to be sacrificed this time. Yoon Hyundong tried to rationalise the situation. If there was to be an accident significant enough to warrant the Seoul regional office’s responsibility, it would undoubtedly occur in Seoul.

A hundred. Although the number that Park Younghee mentioned kept lingering in his mind, he shook his head to erase that thought again. For a hunter of Lee Eunjoo’s level, this much would be required in order to catch her red-handed.

“If I do something……?”

“What would you have to do, Supervisor Yoon? All you have to do is remain still. Oh, but then.”

Park Younghee pretended to jab her chopsticks in Yoon Hyundong’s direction. He startled, as though he was the one being jabbed. Her eyes then curved as she smiled.

“That girl, Kang Hara. Bring her to me so that I can take a look when you have a chance. I should meet her in advance.”

“Sooner or later…”

“Otherwise, I’ll be seeing her in prison.”

Her cryptic remark silenced Yoon Hyundong.

Without waiting for his response, Park Younghee began digging into her meal. In a cramped, raccoon den-like space, she seemed to enjoy her food.

Yoon Hyundong could only gulp down water. He was thirsty.

* * *

Hara met up with Chief Jung in front of the Seoul regional office.

Chief Jung said she didn’t have much time and headed straight into the Seoul office. Hara, who followed behind, took the opportunity to take a brief look around the inside of the Seoul office.

‘It feels like a lie that I’d once decided not to come near Gwanghwamun…’

She couldn’t help but laugh as she recalled the time when Kwon Wook had asked her to come to the Seoul Branch to meet him.

“It’s a little hard to forget you.”

Kwon Wook’s words also came to her mind.

The chief, who had been walking ahead, turned back to look at Hara belatedly and asked suspiciously.

“Why are you grinning so much?”

“Oh, erm…… I’m just amazed that I’m meeting the Director of the Seoul regional office!”

“Amazed, huh? You little brat.”

Chief Jung pinched Hara’s cheek. Owwww…… Hara struggled.

“From now on, you’ll get to see even more amazing things.”

“Ey, what are you saying!”

“Do you know how busy an S-class hunter is? Look at Kwon Wook. Didn’t he head into the Sangam dungeon again yesterday morning.”

As Kwon Wook was mentioned, Hara averted her gaze. It felt like she was caught in the act of thinking about him just a moment ago.

Jung Yoo-jin shrugged her shoulders.

“The S-class hunter Im Yoon-hyuk, from the Chungcheong Branch, is a classmate of mine, but that b*stard’s completely unreachable. I saw him on TV and went, ‘Oh, so that guy is still alive’.”

“……”

“You should also start taking the dungeons as your home.”

“Jung Yoojin, are you trying to scare her even before beginning?”

Another voice suddenly chimed in, and both of them looked back.

The owner of the voice was a well-dressed middle-aged woman, who’d come out of the restroom located beside the hallway. The person wiping her wet hands on her clothes was quite a famous person.

It was the Director of the Seoul regional office, Lee Eun-joo.

“Oh, sunbae.”

Jung Yoojin quickly pulled Hara forward after looping an arm around her shoulder.

“This is Kang Hara.”

“H, h—hello!”

Startled, Hara greeted and bowed politely. Lee Eunjoo smiled beamingly.

When she saw Lee Eunjoo smile, which caused her eyes to disappear, Hara thought of the nickname she had seen on the internet.

The Bakery Ahjumma.

She gave a pleasantly plump and harmless impression, and so the nickname formed when someone likened her to the kind and generous ahjumma that’d give you a piece of streusel bread whenever you’d visit the bakery in the morning.

* * *