Chapter 27: The Thread of Fate （3）
Kang San found it hard to hide his impressed expression.
Even with considerable anticipation for the VVIP hospital room, the sight that unfolded before his eyes exceeded his expectations.
A space for just one patient.
The dozens of pyeong-sized space was equipped with various things, starting with medical equipment, a TV, computer, kitchen, reception room, and so on. Kang San felt as if he was in a hotel, not a hospital.
“……Kang San-nim?”
“Ah.”
He came to his senses belatedly.
In the middle of the hospital room.
Yeon Woo-bin was lying in a familiar posture on a luxurious bed that was evident at a glance.
Kang San spoke.
“I came to settle the accounts. By the way, I heard you’ve been hospitalized for a few days. Are you feeling alright?”
“……Haha. It’s a bit excessive, isn’t it? Originally, it was a matter of being discharged on the same day, but somehow it turned out like this.”
It was a complicated matter to explain.
His father’s love was extraordinary, and he couldn’t bring himself to say that he was undergoing a detailed examination for something as simple as exhaustion.
“If it’s because of the settlement, it’s okay. As I said at the beginning of the raid, I don’t think I deserve a fair share. I have no complaints even if you settle the accounts with the rest of you, excluding me.”
“That can’t be.”
“I’m really okay……”
“No.”
He cut him off.
He knew what Yeon Woo-bin was thinking.
In fact, Kang San also thought there was no reason to settle accounts in the early and mid-stages of the raid, but he couldn’t underestimate his performance in the latter half because of his sluggishness at the time. Perhaps his “golden spoon” background gave strength to Yeon Woo-bin’s choice. If he had the financial resources to occupy a VVIP hospital room in such a large hospital, the share he would receive from the settlement would be nothing.
However.
“When we fell into the ant nest. If it weren’t for Yeon Woo-bin-nim’s performance, we would never have been able to come back alive. I’m not trying to distribute it based on any special feelings or personal emotions, but I think you deserve to be compensated as a member of the raid party. You said you acknowledge me as the leader, right? Then the settlement is also up to the leader to decide, so if you respect me, just accept it.”
“I understand.”
He nodded.
If Kang San was saying it like this.
It wouldn’t be polite to refuse.
Kang San distributed Yeon Woo-bin’s share and checked his condition, so he was about to leave the hospital room.
Just that much.
They weren’t more than that.
Just because they raided together once, and just because he was a “golden spoon,” there was no reason to force a connection.
“I━!”
It was an urgent voice.
It stopped Kang San in his tracks.
When Kang San looked back with a puzzled expression, Yeon Woo-bin hesitated and then spoke with difficulty.
“……Can we do it together next time?”
He stared at Yeon Woo-bin.
Next time.
Those were good words.
It meant that their relationship wasn’t bad, and that they could live on in the days to come.
Yeon Woo-bin hurriedly added.
“I-It’s not that I just want to do it together, but I’ll work harder in the future to be helpful to the party……”
“Alright.”
Kang San smiled.
“You’re always welcome if you just fix that faint heart of yours.”
✦✦✦✦✦✦
Following Yeon Woo-bin.
Jo Han-byeol also finished the call.
During the process of distributing his share, Jo Han-byeol chattered incessantly.
“Please answer my call next time. Please! If you don’t answer, I’ll keep calling until you do!”
Yeon Woo-bin and.
Jo Han-byeol too.
Kang San felt much more at ease.
Kang San gave a positive answer.
Rather than because they strongly wanted him, objectively speaking, Yeon Woo-bin and Jo Han-byeol were attractive cards in an E-rank party. A D-rank mage who wields explosive magic comparable to C-rank. And Jo Han-byeol, although an E-rank, fulfilled his role as a ranged dealer as expected.
It wasn’t bad to look forward to the future.
Especially for a tanker like Kang San, connections that could satisfy his need for dealers were always welcome.
Now next.
It was Jeong Chan-woo’s turn.
Usually, the settlement is done on the same day the party ends, but his condition was so bad that he needed time to recover.
He met Jeong Chan-woo.
However, after the settlement was over, he also grabbed Kang San’s ankle.
“Do you have a separate management by any chance?”
“No.”
“Oh, really?”
Jeong Chan-woo’s face brightened.
Kang San didn’t know.
Just like Yeon Woo-bin, just like Jo Han-byeol, he had also been waiting for a meeting with Kang San.
“Actually, I’m affiliated with Cheonsang. If you’re interested in Cheonsang, I can recommend you separately. Of course, joining as an E-rank is very exceptional, but with Kang San-nim’s skills, there won’t be any problems.”
It was an attractive offer.
Cheonsang.
A large management company representing South Korea.
Even if you had the skills, Cheonsang was a place you couldn’t enter, but Jeong Chan-woo said he would recommend him to Cheonsang. There was no reason to refuse. Logically, he had to accept it unconditionally. The systematic management of Cheonsang and the privileges they could bestow would undoubtedly pour oil on Kang San’s growth.
The problem was.
‘If I’m managed by a management company, there’s no way to explain the disasters that happen every time.’
It was a dilemma.
The special situation of Azmoon’s Trials was very difficult to explain to both the Hunter Management Bureau and the management company.
“It’s okay.”
“Then I’ll recommend you right away…… Huh?”
His eyes widened.
A refusal?
It was an unexpected answer.
“Really? You really don’t want to join Cheonsang?”
“It’s not that I don’t want to, but rather I think it’s still premature to belong somewhere. Thank you very much for the offer.”
“Ah……”
No matter how good the offer.
It was meaningless if the other party didn’t want it.
In the end, just like the previous people, he promised to hunt with Jeong Chan-woo next time and concluded the meeting.
Jeong Chan-woo too.
He was a skilled person who wasn’t bad to know.
✦✦✦✦✦✦
Immediately after parting with Kang San.
Jeong Chan-woo met someone.
It was his manager.
Shin Jeong-geun, who was classified as a senior manager even within Cheonsang, couldn’t hide his expression at Jeong Chan-woo’s words.
“……So, you’re saying we should recruit an E-rank tanker to Cheonsang? And someone who doesn’t even want to join, no less?”
“I’m telling you, he’s a really amazing talent. Of course, the superficial figure of E-rank may underestimate Kang San-nim’s skills, but he was more outstanding than any other Hunter I’ve experienced while raiding.”
“That’s a bit much considering he’s from F-rank. And it’s only been recently that he was promoted to E-rank.”
“That’s why it’s even more amazing. If he’s E-rank with that skill, it means it’s a golden opportunity for us to recruit Kang San-nim without spending a lot of money. And above all! I don’t know how he was when he was wandering around in F-rank, but the Kang San-nim I experienced had the potential to be promoted to a higher rank right away. Manager-nim, don’t you trust me? It’s me, Jeong Chan-woo.”
‘……I don’t trust you because you’re Jeong Chan-woo.’
Shin Jeong-geun swallowed the words that rose to his throat.
Jeong Chan-woo.
The reason why a senior manager was attached to a mere 20-year-old, E-rank Hunter was because his parents were high-ranking executives at Cheonsang. This kind of thing happened often in the past. A wet-behind-the-ears brat would try to bring people around him into Cheonsang as if he had some great authority.
It was a clear overreach.
His twitching lips wanted to lash out, but he didn’t want to make enemies with Jeong Chan-woo for no reason.
‘No matter how I look at it, it’s an absurd recruitment.’
Kang San.
He thoroughly scanned his profile when forming Jeong Chan-woo’s party.
Although he was recently promoted to E-rank with overwhelming results, his days as an F-rank human shield proved his potential. It’s safe to say that a Hunter who starts out poorly and ends up great doesn’t exist. There’s a reason why they say the first Awakening determines everything. The absurd thing here is that Kang San has already refused Cheonsang’s offer. Jeong Chan-woo argued that he wasn’t confident in persuading him, but if they officially recruited him, he might be tempted.
He had a headache.
This was why South Korea was a problem.
They should be controlling the kids with their heads in the clouds, but the parents only knew how to protect and pamper their children.
Shin Jeong-geun said resignedly.
“……I can’t say for sure that we’ll push for recruitment, but I’ll suggest it internally for now. This is really the last time. Cheonsang also has an external image to uphold, so you shouldn’t recommend Hunters below C-rank in the future.”
“Come on, what does rank matter if you have the skills? What are you going to do if you miss them all?”
“……”
He closed his eyes tightly.
Shin Jeong-geun didn’t want to talk to Jeong Chan-woo anymore.
✦✦✦✦✦✦
The next day.
A regular meeting was held at Cheonsang Management.
At the meeting to discuss the recruitment plans for Hunters they were watching, one manager mentioned the data he had collected.
“The first is Hwang Dong-woo, who is active in Incheon. He’s B-rank and his nickname is Mad Bull. He’s a rare tanker who shows outstanding performance on both offense and defense. As you know, skilled tankers are extremely rare, so we need to recruit him quickly. Since other management companies have been eyeing Hwang Dong-woo right after he was promoted to B-rank, we need to capture his heart with the first offer, not just test the waters vaguely.”
“We must recruit Hwang Dong-woo no matter what.”
“The conditions are the problem, but there’s no disagreement that Hwang Dong-woo is a Hunter who suits Cheonsang.”
After announcing the recruitment target.
Other managers added their opinions.
Hwang Dong-woo, who was unanimously approved, was just the beginning, and the manager continued to mention the second and third Hunters.
This was Cheonsang Team 5.
The individuals selected through the meeting are reported to the higher-ups.
And when the higher-ups approve, they can finally receive a recruitment offer from Cheonsang.
Some are accepted.
Some are rejected.
Some are put on hold.
The active meeting came to a screeching halt due to Shin Jeong-geun’s report.
“……That’s why I recommended him.”
He was embarrassed.
The team leader and team members were all watching.
He felt ashamed to recommend a mere E-rank Hunter, not a recruitment target that everyone would acknowledge like Hwang Dong-woo. So he added that he had no choice but to include him in the recruitment list because of “Jeong Chan-woo’s recommendation.” Thanks to this, people seemed to understand Shin Jeong-geun’s choice.
One manager said.
“……No matter what, I don’t think E-rank is appropriate. If we don’t distinguish between public and private matters, even if it’s Cheonsang, a management company representing South Korea, its reputation can be tarnished in an instant. You know how brutal this field is.”
“This is a bit too much. What authority does Jeong Chan-woo have to make recommendations? He’s just the son of a high-ranking executive, he doesn’t have the authority or the knowledge to recommend anyone. Let’s just move on from this.”
“I agree.”
Opinions gathered.
Rejection.
It was a reasonable choice.
But then, one person who was carefully examining Kang San’s data raised his head.
“Huh? Min-hyeok, isn’t this the kid you tried to recruit before?”
The identity of the man.
He was the former team leader of Castle Management, and recently joined Team 5 after the merger and acquisition.
His gaze turned to the end of the conference room.
“……Yes?”
The person called Min-hyeok.
He, who used to be Kang San’s friend, showed a flustered expression at the unexpected situation.
