Descent of the Demon Master-Chapter 1060. Interrogated (5)

“Huh? You got kicked out?” Jo Gyu-Min furiously blinked his eyes.

Kang Jin-Ho kept his mouth firmly shut and didn't respond.

“What do you mean by getting kicked out? They don’t want you there?”

“...Please stop laughing,” Kang Jin-Ho sourly pouted.

Jo Gyu-Min nearly fell off his chair while laughing out loud. He almost choked just then, too!

To think Kang Jin-Ho got kicked out of the class! Who could’ve thought that the one-and-only Kang Jin-Ho would one day say that with his own mouth!

Then again, Kang Jin-Ho was a bit of an introvert, so it was possible that he failed to get along with the rest of his... classmates.

‘Eii, even if that’s true...!’

Even then, how could they kick Kang Jin-Ho out of the class!

“Funnily enough, I actually have a report regarding your situation with me at the moment, and...” Jo Gyu-Min picked up a report and briefly perused it. A helpless chuckle soon spread on his lips.

‘I had no idea Mister Jin-Ho would go this far...’

Kang Jin-Ho standing head and shoulder above his classmates during the training program was easy enough to predict for those who knew what he was like. Jo Gyu-Min was there during Kang Jin-Ho's high school and university days, so he had been doubly sure about this possibility coming true.

Even so, there should be a limit to how much one was allowed to “overachieve,” no?!

“Mister Jin-Ho, you didn’t have to go the extra mile like this, you know?”

Kang Jin-Ho frowned slightly. “That’s the thing. I don’t think I have been working extra hard, so...”

“Kek. Kekekeke!” Jo Gyu-Min guffawed again at Kang Jin-Ho's evasive reply. “To think you somehow managed to create a situation where merely being in the same classroom is a torture for everybody else! Unfortunately, you can't even report this to HR as workplace bullying.”

“...”

Jo Gyu-Min sneakily wiped away a single drop of tear while stifling his laughter induced by this unintentionally funny report.

The report stated that Kang Jin-Ho had already finished studying the planned curriculum all by himself. And the writer of this report was also strongly demanding for something to be done about this situation since Kang Jin-Ho's insane progress rate had left the rest of the class feeling very, very, inadequate with themselves!

Jo Gyu-Min put the report down and smirked. “I’m sure Chairman Hwang will be overjoyed when he hears this news.”

“Hmm...” Kang Jin-Ho groaned deeply.

“Actually, I think this is for the best.”

Kang Jin-Ho cocked an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“Chairman didn’t force you into the program so you could learn how to use spreadsheets, you see? No, he wanted you to experience what it's like to be a part of a business project. However, the training program had to be revamped early on, and the planned curriculum on projects got thrown out the window as a result. As you can imagine, that threw a wrench into the Chairman’s plan.”

“So... What then?”

“We’ll have to speak to the Chairman first. See what he has to say.”

Jo Gyu-Min burst out laughing again, clearly amused by this development.

***

“...Say what? You’re already done with the program?” Hwang Jeong-Hu stared at Kang Jin-Ho in clear flabbergast and dismay.

‘How the hell? What is up with this punk?’

The training program only just got started, figuratively speaking, yet Kang Jin-Ho was already done with it?

Hwang Jeong-Hu urgently stared at Jo Gyu-Min next. “W-who decided that? Who was it?”

Jo Gyu-Min shook his head. “Sir, the request came from the education team.”

“Really?”

“Yes, sir. The instructor in charge said they have nothing to teach Mister Jin-Ho. They also said that his presence in the classroom during the lessons interferes with the proceedings and negatively impacts the morale of the learners. So they want us to do something about this situation.”

Kang Jin-Ho grew even more depressed just then. Was there a need to reveal the truth so openly and painfully like this...?

“Huh. Well, I’ll be...” Hwang Jeong-Hu leaned back against the cushions and chuckled loudly. Unfortunately, that was not the laughter of happiness or satisfaction but rather a product of his flabbergast. “I don’t remember Jaegyeong's newbie training program being such a cakewalk, though?”

“That’s not the case, but...” Jo Gyu-Min scratched his head while grimacing a little.

The thing about education was that its standard had to be lowered to match the learner at the bottom of the heap. However, one shouldn't forget that the training program designed for average new Jaegyeong employees wouldn't be much of a challenge for someone of Kang Jin-Ho's caliber.

‘I’m pretty sure he wasn’t like this in the past, though...’

Didn't Jo Gyu-Min personally tutor Kang Jin-Ho when they first met? But now... Things had changed to the point where Jo Gyu-Min would never dare try to teach Kang Jin-Ho anything these days.

Hwang Jeong-Hu muttered dazedly. “Huh-uh... This has to be my first time experiencing something like this since starting my company...”

“Indeed, sir. You won’t get to experience this kind of situation all that often.”

Jo Gyu-Min and Hwang Jeong-Hu stared weirdly at Kang Jin-Ho, who was leaning against the couch while making an unreadable face.

“Mm...” Hwang Jeong-Hu slowly rubbed his chin. “Well, the training program's purpose is to improve the trainees’ skills, now isn’t it? So, if something is hindering their progress, we should get rid of it, no?”

Jo Gyu-Min coolly nodded. “Yes, sir. I agree.”

Kang Jin-Ho grew even more depressed just then. He was being seen as an obstacle now!

“In that case, mm...?” Hwang Jeong-Hu's brow arched up a little, then he quickly voiced his new idea. “Since things have ended up this way, how about we take it a step further?”

Jo Gyu-Min tilted his head. “Sir?”

“What you’re saying is that Jin-Ho’s already got the skills of a new employee, right? In that case, rather than wasting the remainder of the program doing nothing, how about him working as an intern?”

“...Oh?” Jo Gyu-Min’s brows rose up a little. That... didn’t sound like a bad idea. As a matter of fact, it was an excellent idea!

‘For sure...!’

Even if Kang Jin-Ho was not used to a corporate environment, someone of his caliber should still prove to be an invaluable workforce.

From Jaegyeong's perspective, it'd be “hiring” a capable super intern, which would be a great deal. And from Kang Jin-Ho's perspective, he'd get to experience the life of a salaryman working in a company, so that should be a net positive, too!

“But, sir? Most departments would find it difficult to handle Mister Jin-Ho. For one, he can be rather... shockingly unorthodox in his methods.”

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Hwang Jeong-Hu smirked. “Why are you worried about that? You can just take him under your wings, no?”

“I’m sorry?”

“Put him in the Office of Secretaries.”

“Ah...!”

Jo Gyu-Min's eyes began gleaming dangerously.

‘As expected of Chairman Hwang!’

Hwang Jeong-Hu proved yet again that he was wiser than Jo Gyu-Min.

Jaegyeong's Office of Secretaries handled a lot more work than it used to. It no longer focused solely on assisting Hwang Jeong-Hu and his daily schedules but also handled the demanding task of collating and summarizing numerous reports from various departments for the Chairman's perusal.

Working in the Office of Secretaries would allow Kang Jin-Ho to learn more about how a company was run.

“That is a great idea, sir!”

Not only that, but...

A sneaky smirk of satisfaction spread on Jo Gyu-Min’s face.

‘...We get to order Mister Jin-Ho around, too!’

The Office of Secretaries was Jo Gyu-Min’s territory. Which meant he’d have the legitimate authority to order Kang Jin-Ho around! In that case, how could Jo Gyu-Min refuse!

Jo Gyu-Min eagerly sat forward. “Then, we should proceed right away...”

“Excuse me for a sec.”

Just before Jo Gyu-Min could fully voice his agreement, though, he was stopped by a calm but ominous voice. Jo Gyu-Min's expression froze as he stiffly turned his head to look.

Click...

Kang Jin-Ho was casually lighting a cigarette while leaning back against the couch. “Hmm. Didn’t our contract only extend to the training program?”

“...”

“Since I can't participate in the program anymore, the next logical step is for me to leave... But now, an intern, you say?” Kang Jin-Ho asked, a hint of a smile now visible on his face.

Of course, Jo Gyu-Min knew that was definitely not a smile. After all, Kang Jin-Ho only made that face when he was riled up about something, didn't he!

“Ahaha, I was merely... We’re simply saying there’s a solution like that. A potential solution. That’s all,” said Jo Gyu-Min in an attempt to pacify the situation, his expression contorted awkwardly.

“I think it might be a good experience for you,” said Hwang Jeong-Hu. It seemed he was unwilling to let this go just yet.

“Sorry, but I’ve already experienced enough,” Kang Jin-Ho slowly shook his head.

“Why? Are you not interested?”

“Mm...” Kang Jin-Ho noticed Hwang Jeong-Hu was serious about this topic. In that case, he should also respond just as seriously. “I am interested. But I simply don't have enough free time to work as an intern in Jaegyeong. As you can imagine, I have a lot on my plate right now.”

“Even though the internship experience will prove quite helpful to all the ventures you’re about to embark on?”

“Can I tell you about one of the lessons I’ve learned in my life, Chairman?”

“Mm? Sure. What is it?”

Kang Jin-Ho leisurely puffed away at his cigarette. “It’s impossible for me to do everything by myself.”

“...”

“And I certainly cannot do everything perfectly, either,” said Kang Jin-Ho, the corners of his lips gradually curling up. “I only said yes to this arrangement because I was curious about how a company operated. Now that I’ve seen it myself, I see no reason to stay. Well, you could say it’s time for me to go back to work since the vacation here has ended. People back in the Assembly will suffer for longer the more I stay away, after all.”

“Hmm...” Hwang Jeong-Su slowly nodded. He knew better than anyone that forcing Kang Jin-Ho to participate in the training program was an unreasonable demand.

Whether it was a chairperson or a president of a company... One could say that the leadership position of a company was rather weird.

If one was asked if such positions were absolutely crucial to the daily operations of a company, one could answer with “No, not really.” As an example, a chairperson's absence could create less of a vacuum in the chain of command than, say, the absence of a head of a department.

However, a lack of a chairperson at the top of the hierarchy also created its own issues. And it had something to do with this intangible “influence” exerted over the rest of the workforce that couldn't be explained using a company's operational structure.

An organization with its leader absent was bound to stutter and crumble sooner rather than later.

Kang Jin-Ho’s role in the Assembly should almost be the same as Hwang Jeong-Hu’s role in Jaegyeong. Since that was the case, the right thing was to let Kang Jin-Ho go.

Hwang Jeong-Hu tutted loudly. “Tsk... I wanted to keep you here for a bit longer, but... I guess I owe my thanks for humoring this old man’s whims.”

Kang Jin-Ho nodded. “I’ve learned a lot here. Thank you.”

“Still, how unfortunate. How unfortunate...” Hwang Jeong-Hu ruefully smacked his lips.

Jo Gyu-Min looked disappointed. “Mister Jin-Ho... Are you seriously quitting on us?”

“Yes, I am,” Kang Jin-Ho replied calmly. “My role here is finished, after all.”

“Mm...” Jo Gyu-Min frowned slightly.

Kang Jin-Ho chuckled at how disappointed Jo Gyu-Min was.

‘Well, this is enough, isn’t it?’

Kang Jin-Ho’s real purpose for saying yes to the training ground was something else. He had two goals in this place.

The first goal was to confirm what the Assembly's administrative staff would learn during the training program. And the other goal was to “help” the staff acclimatize to the education program run by a regular company.

Even if Hwang Jeong-Hu hadn't asked, Kang Jin-Ho would have most likely shown up here during the program. He probably wouldn't have joined the program itself, but he still would have stopped by the classes several times to make sure everything was running smoothly.

Martial artists intermingling with regular, powerless folks was a tricky event necessitating his intervention, after all!

Had Kang Jin-Ho not been here, the incident on the first day could've occurred several times by now. And that would have led to the cancellation of the program itself.

Kang Jin-Ho could say his job was to prevent such a thing from becoming a reality. And he had admirably fulfilled his role.

Hwang Jeong-Hu tutted while mouthing a fresh cigarette. “Well, a promise is a promise.”

Click...

After lighting the cigarette, Hwang Jeong-Hu puffed away while locking his gaze on Kang Jin-Ho. “I guess you have fulfilled your side of the arrangement. Then, I’ll do my part and flawlessly train your people.”

“Thank you,” Kang Jin-Ho bowed slightly.

“Still, what a miss this is. You could’ve stayed a bit longer. That would have helped you out a lot.”

Kang Jin-Ho shook his head. “Actually... I think that’s not something I should do.”

“Mm? What do you mean?”

“What I mean is, I shouldn’t learn such things when someone else will manage the company for me. So, that someone else should be the one participating in the program instead.”

“Huh?” Hwang Jeong-Hu tilted his head in confusion.

However, Jo Gyu-Min’s eyes suddenly opened wider as he stared at Kang Jin-Ho. It seemed he realized who this “someone else” was.

“Mister Jin-Ho? Could it be...?”

“Yes. When the time is right, one more person will join the program. But you must train this man as flawlessly as possible. He is very skilled, but his experience in business management is practically zero, you see...?”

“Mister Jin-Ho...!”

Kang Jin-Ho glanced at Jo Gyu-Min before cocking an eyebrow. “...Yes? What is it?”

His subtly confused reaction was understandable, though... since he could see all the veins bulging on Jo Gyu-Min’s hands gripping his knees!

Jo Gyu-Min, who could no longer stop his body from trembling powerfully, stared at Kang Jin-Ho with eyes containing vigorously burning flames. “I...! I swear to you that I will satisfy your expectations!”

“...?”

“If you are really, genuinely serious about sending that person to us...! I shall utilize every ounce of energy in me to properly tortu... Ahem, I mean, I'll do my utmost best to train him! I shall teach him everything I know and even resort to every method at my disposal to make his life a living h... Ahem, I mean, I'll be an excellent instructor, Mister Jin-Ho. That is why! Promise me you will make him join the program! Please!”

Kang Jin-Ho dazedly blinked his eyes in silence.

Jo Gyu-Min ardently cried out, “Promise me, Mister Jin-Ho!”

“S-sure thing.”

After forcing himself to answer, Kang Jin-Ho turned his head to look at the distant skies beyond the office windows.

‘What kind of grudges did you create with Chief Jo?’

What choice did Kang Jin-Ho have, other than considering it as karma doing its job?

***

Lee Hyeon-Su cried out in irritation. “Arrrgh, what the hell!”

Lee Hyeon-Ju frowned slightly while looking away from her computer screen. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s my ears! They have been itchy for a while now. But why? Is someone badmouthing me or something? But, uh, only the Assembly Master would do that, though?”

Lee Hyeon-Ju tutted, unimpressed. “Why would he badmouth you? When he should be in the middle of class right now?”

“You’re right. It doesn’t make sense. So why... Argh, it’s itching again?”

“...Uh-whew. How about talking to a doctor? Maybe you’ve developed a weird illness?”

“What do you mean, a weird illness!” Lee Hyeon-Su grunted loudly while poking and rubbing his ears. Then, he cocked his head from side to side. “Okay, so... All that's left is this stack of documents, right?”

Lee Hyeon-Ju raised an eyebrow. “You look... excited for some reason? Or did you finally get used to this situation?”

“Rather than getting used to it, I decided to think of it as an opportunity. Everything in this world depends on your mindset, right?”

“Huh? What opportunity are you talking about?”

Lee Hyeon-Su smirked deeply. “Think about it. Once our people come back from the training program, our workload will go way down, right?”

“Of course. That’s obvious. But...”

“And our Assembly Master is also diligently studying away, so... Doesn’t that mean we can dump some of this work on his shoulders, too?”

“...”

Lee Hyeon-Su began cackling like a villain. “I’m thinking of joining the next round of training program. Just before I leave, I’m gonna tell the Assembly Master, straight to his face no less, to do all this work for me! Since that’s the case, having more work is making me happy right now!”

Lee Hyeon-Ju slowly shook her head. Unfortunately for her, the man who brazenly declared his intention to start a mutiny just so happened to be her boyfriend.

‘He’s gonna taste his own medicine if he keeps that up...’

Lee Hyeon-Su had to be the one person in the entire Martial Assembly who got... “punked” the most by the Assembly Master. He should know that, too, so why couldn't he let the sleeping dogs lie? Lee Hyeon-Ju just couldn't understand it.

“Just imagining the Assembly Master buried under piles of documents is making my day, Miss Hyeon-Ju! It feels like my indigestion is finally going away. Even our Assembly Master can’t possibly say no when I tell him I’m gonna join the training program!”

And so... Lee Hyeon-Su had no idea he was willingly walking into the den of a hungry tiger... all the while humming like a happy camper, to boot!