Chapter 385 – I Said I Would Cooperate with the Gwi-gyo (3)

“Do you have something to say to me?”

“What do you mean?”

As I was dragged to a secluded place, I faced Hwangbo Hyoseon’s piercing gaze and retorted.

Right after leaving No Hee-bang’s hideout, Hwangbo Hyoseon suddenly grabbed my arm and briskly walked, only to stop here and start interrogating me.

“Are you planning to deceive me? Isn’t it exactly what you told me before?”

“…I really don’t know what you’re talking about.”

In truth, I knew perfectly well what he wanted to say, but I pretended not to and once again shook off his grip, causing sparks to fly in Hwangbo Hyoseon’s eyes.

“You didn’t deceive me, did you? Didn’t you tell me it was just a simple business venture? If there’s anything you can deny among the things No Bang-ju said, now is the time to do it!”

“Ah… Are you referring to that?”

When Hwangbo Hyoseon heard No Hee-bang’s explanation and learned that Ma-gyo’s business was a form of economic invasion, I had a rough idea of how he would react.

Before answering, I glanced behind me and observed Mong-a and the Ma-gyo masters who were looking in this direction. They probably couldn’t hear us due to the distance, but they seemed to sense the atmosphere.

Especially Mong-a, who seemed indifferent at first glance, but seeing her rolling the yam-sized pill in her hand, it was clear that she was restless and couldn’t make up her mind about something.

Anyway, after confirming once again that they couldn’t hear us, I slowly opened my mouth.

“It is indeed a simple business venture. What exactly do you find problematic about it, Hwangbo Hyoseon?”

“What the hell…!”

“Aren’t you also manipulating other upper factions? What exactly is the problem?”

“Didn’t you hear? If Ma-gyo gains control of the upper factions, there will be a power struggle that we won’t even be able to fight…”

“That’s why I’m asking, what’s the problem with that? Surely, Hwangbo Hyoseon, you don’t mean to say that the Ma-gyo should only work enough to earn money without taking control of the upper factions just because they are the Ma-gyo?”

“…?!”

After hearing my words, Hwangbo Hyoseon realized that something was off and his fierce gaze that had been glaring at me subsided. Meanwhile, I furrowed my brows and slowly prepared for an attack.

As far as I know, the Gupa has the Yongun Upper Faction composed of inner disciples, and the prestigious families also have their own upper factions. Does Hwangbo Hyoseon think that the Ma-gyo should have a bigger foothold than the Ma-gyo Upper Faction? Just because they are the orthodox faction?”

“Well, it wasn’t like that. But if Ma-gyo were to have ill intentions, it could be dangerous, couldn’t it?”

“I suppose that could be possible.”

“Hmm?”

Hwangbo Hyoseon’s eyes widened as she realized that I didn’t deny her words and seemed to understand. But my words weren’t finished yet.

“It’s not like I can guarantee that it won’t happen. But haven’t you seen it yourself? Ma-gyo is struggling to survive in poor lands and is seeking coexistence with the orthodox factions through peaceful means.”

“…”

“Even before anything has happened, if they try to brand them as dangerous and crush their wings, isn’t that the same as urging the Ma-gyo to unleash their fury?”

“Well, that’s…”

Hwangbo Hyoseon started to hesitate and step back. And in the midst of her confusion, I didn’t miss the opportunity and struck.

“I’m disappointed. I foolishly believed that Hwangbo Hyoseon understood my intentions.”

“…! W-Wait…”

I turned my body and continued walking, ignoring the voice calling out to me. There was nothing to gain from hesitating.

Before she could realize that something was off about my words, I needed to shake up her thoughts and get out of there quickly.

I quickly left the spot, taking Mong-a and the disciples who were watching us from a distance with me.

The Gupa’s Upper Faction, although not widely known by that name, had established a stable position in the middle class of the Ma-gyo while managing the organization’s finances for many years.

But if we were to judge their position within the Ma-gyo, it wasn’t particularly high, thanks to the perception derived from the absolute principle of strength in the Ma-gyo.

Regardless of anything else, it was clear that the one with greater martial power would occupy a higher position, so it was obvious that the person in charge of the Upper Faction, who only handled money and brought in funds, would receive a limited amount of respect.

However, the situation had completely changed in the past few months. For some reason, a directive had come from the central faction, completely overturning the role of the Upper Faction, which had only been responsible for financial procurement.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Ungi-seong, the head of the Upper Faction.”

The head of the Upper Faction, who had been satisfied with his peripheral role, suddenly emerged into the center, and even the So-gyoju, who was like the sky, had stepped forward. Perhaps because of this, despite the words of greeting, the head of the Upper Faction exchanged greetings with the high-level members of the faction, including the opening ceremony, with a heavy expression.

And after taking a seat, the middle-aged man who seemed quite affable glanced at the So-gyoju sitting next to him and immediately got to the point.

“I heard that you offered to assist with the restructuring of the distribution network during the opening ceremony… How much do you know about our organization’s operations?”

“I only have a general overview. If I am to help with the restructuring, I would like to hear a more detailed explanation… if possible, even an overall outline.”

No Hee-bang hesitated for a moment, realizing that he had chosen his words carefully. He glanced at the So-gyoju, trying to gauge her reaction.

“I have clearly stated that I will cooperate with your organization. While I can simply provide the necessary information, how can I offer proper assistance if I don’t understand the flow of the entire operation?”

As soon as No Hee-bang finished speaking, he noticed a slight nod from the So-gyoju. Encouraged by this, he continued.

“Very well. Let me explain. But before that, please take this.”

No Hee-bang handed over a few prepared booklets to No Hee-bang.

“What is this…?”

“It seems to be a booklet prepared for educational purposes, as this is a new form of business. Since there won’t be enough time to read it all at once, I will prioritize explaining the necessary parts.”

No Hee-bang unfolded the booklet and saw that one side had illustrations while the other side had written explanations.

Since the readers of this book would all be skilled martial artists, reading the text wouldn’t be difficult. But thanks to the illustrations that provided visual explanations, it seemed easy to understand.

“Now, let’s start with a simple discussion. According to this content, in more bustling areas, the demand for purchases naturally increases, so it suggests that more personnel should be deployed even with the same area.”

“That makes sense.”

“However, this is not just a simple numbers game. What is easily obtainable in one region may be difficult to obtain in another, and if the terrain is rugged or the roads are not well-maintained, transportation becomes even more challenging, don’t you think?”

“I see. If it’s an area where rice is abundantly produced, there will be fewer people purchasing rice, so less manpower will be needed. On the other hand, if it’s a remote village scattered on a rugged mountainside, it will be more difficult…”

“Exactly. These are the aspects that your department needs to grasp.”

No Hee-bang was slightly surprised that the task seemed to be more intricate than he had anticipated. He couldn’t think of anyone within the Ma-gyo who would have come up with such a plan, even when considering well-known figures.

Meanwhile, as the conversation continued, the So-gyoju became increasingly impressed. Unlike the martial arts-focused individuals in the Ma-gyo, the woman in front of her seemed to truly understand the value of the information being explained.

Before he knew it, No Hee-bang found himself engrossed in a back-and-forth conversation with the So-gyoju, to the point where he didn’t even notice the scent of alcohol emanating from her. Having grasped the general idea of the task at hand, No Hee-bang licked his lips.

“It seems… there’s quite a lot to investigate in the main branch. I didn’t realize we would need to know the average age and financial status of the buyers…”

“It will be a challenging task. We have to consider not only what the buyers demand, but also what they themselves don’t realize they want.”

“Indeed. While the main branch doesn’t directly involve itself in commerce, I can tell that the approach the Ma-gyo is taking is quite radical. It’s truly surprising that I hadn’t known about figures like the So-gyoju until now.”

No Hee-bang subtly leaned back, observing the So-gyoju’s reaction. He wanted to gauge whether it was she who had devised this plan or if it was someone else.

“Hehe, you’re pulling me closer like this, I don’t know what to make of it. I’m glad that you appreciate the plan I came up with using my limited knowledge.”

However, the So-gyoju was no ordinary fox, so she didn’t utter any words like, “This is not my own idea, but a plan that was formulated by the higher-ups and is being implemented.”

After all, the initiative in this meeting belonged to the So-gyoju (and the Sogyoju sitting beside her), and there were no forces capable of stealing this information and imitating the same business. There was no reason to blurt out unnecessary facts.

“We should start by categorizing the information that can be prepared immediately and the information that cannot. Then, we can reconvene.”

“Let’s do that. Even if we provide all the data at once, it would be difficult to implement it all at once.”

But outwardly, they maintained a harmonious atmosphere, and thus, the first meeting came to a close.

“So, how was it? Do you think it will go as you expected?”

“Oh, wait… just a moment…”

Gulp.

As I quickly swallowed a bite of the stir-fried chicken, Cha Soo-ran looked surprised and said, “Don’t eat in a hurry. You can eat slowly…”

“Really? I thought you were urging me to eat quickly because I’ve been eating non-stop.”

“Oh, no, it’s not like that…”

Whether she took my joke seriously or not, Cha Soo-ran put down the side dish she was holding with chopsticks and tried to explain herself. Next to her, Yeong Ho-kyung chuckled and said, “Don’t tease her. Soo-ran, you should eat slowly too.”

“Yes…”

Finally realizing that I had made a joke, Cha Soo-ran seemed relieved. But soon, she started staring at my throat, making me feel quite uncomfortable, as if she was waiting for me to choke on my food.

Anyway, we should continue the conversation.

“Seems like that person in the upper ranks is quite competent, don’t you think? They seem to understand all the important aspects.”

“Well, they’ve been successfully raising funds for the main branch for a long time. The survival of the main branch is at stake here, so if their reputation wasn’t good, they would have tested the waters before starting.”

“Anyway, if they understand everything, then I have nothing more to say. The person currently in the position would know much better than me, except for what I’ve taught them. As long as No Hee-bang doesn’t do anything foolish, things should go smoothly, right?”

“Foolish, you say…”

While Yeong Ho-kyung was lost in thought for a moment, I eagerly devoured the food that Cha Soo-ran was serving me, like a hungry bird.

After the meeting, I returned to my quarters and enjoyed the lunch prepared by the two women.

Even though Yeong Ho-kyung didn’t have any special plans with me, it seemed like Cha Soo-ran wanted to take care of me, so she opened her mouth wide and fed me, not even bothering to take a bite for herself.

“So cute.”

There was no need to say anything, but the reason why Yeong Ho-kyung kept me away from No Hee-bang was because these women were determined to have a good time with me. Originally, I had planned to balance work and training and have sex whenever there was an opportunity. But now that there were intruders, I couldn’t help but feel frustrated.

Just yesterday, the three of us rolled around in bed until late at night, and tonight, we could do whatever we wanted.

But seeing her so eagerly feeding me, I couldn’t help but find her adorable and wanted to make her fall for me right away.

“Does No Hee-bang really mean what he says? That he will prevent the main branch from taking control of the central region?”

Just as my hand was slowly moving towards Cha Soo-ran’s chest, Yeong Ho-kyung spoke up. I sighed in disappointment and pulled my hand back, answering.

“Yes. Well, anyone with a good sense of the situation would act that way, don’t you think?”

“Well, I suppose so…”

I had already anticipated that No Hee-bang would accept the collaboration proposal and plan to put a brake on the logistics industry. I was just surprised that he accepted it so early.

That’s why I wondered if No Hee-bang was truly considering all of that. He kept giving me the feeling that he would do something beyond my expectations, and it was making my head itch.

“Given the opportunity, I feel like he might even spread rumors that the upper ranks of the main branch are actually the hideout of the Ma-gyo…”

I tried to think about what more he could do, but nothing substantial came to mind.

“Sir…?”

Suddenly, I saw a pair of chopsticks frozen in mid-air, holding a side dish, and our eyes met.

Lost in my thoughts, I realized that my mouth had stopped moving as I was contemplating. I quickly snapped out of it and pushed the side dish into my mouth.

“Ah, forget it. Let’s stop worrying about unnecessary things.”

Right now, No Hee-bang was just as trapped as I was. It’s all talk about collaboration and cooperation, but in reality, he was being monitored by the Ma-gyo, and the person who would help him was actually on my side.

In such a favorable situation, there was no need to worry unnecessarily. I decided to let go of my pointless worries and focus on my meal again.

Little did I know that this conclusion would prove to be wrong a few days later.