Descent of the Demon Master-Chapter 1137. Proving (2)

“Is today a special day?”

Kang Eun-Yeong asked while narrowing her eyes. After all, her dear orabeoni, Kang Jin-Ho, had bothered to put on a smart-looking business suit the first thing in the morning!

“That’s so suspicious, you know?”

“...”

Kang Jin-Ho stared at his little sister and groaned softly. The way he saw it, she was the one who needed to be suspected more!

“What? Why are you groaning at me?” Kang Eun-Yeong sharply asked again.

Before Kang Jin-Ho had a chance to really notice it, his little sister waiting for him at home became a permanent fixture in his life.

It was as if Kang Eun-Yeong had morphed into a house fairy...

‘...Actually, calling her a fairy is an insult to fairies, so let’s just call her a lingering spirit. A poltergeist.’

After organizing his thoughts, Kang Jin-Ho tutted at Kang Eun-Yeong. “What about you? Don’t you have places to go?”

“Orabi?”

“What now?”

“Do you know how much I love staying at home?”

“...?” Kang Jin-Ho dazedly stared at his sister.

However, Kang Eun-Yeong remained unfazed and stood proudly before him. “What?”

“...No, never mind.”

Kang Eun-Yeong chuckled at Kang Jin-Ho’s defeated-sounding reply.

He frowned slightly at her. “But you... What happened here? Wasn't your wish to become an idol? Didn't you ignore my wishes and go against mother and father at times, too?”

Kang Eun-Yeong chuckled again. “That’s so long ago, orabi. Like, five years ago!”

That was unfortunately true. Plenty of time had passed since then.

“Yearning to join the idol industry and actually participating in it are two different things, you know? Besides...” Kang Eun-Yeong sheepishly looked away. “I figured lazing around for a bit might rekindle my motivation to start working again, you know? But... Orabi!

“Did you know there’s no limit to laziness? Every day is a new adventure! At this rate, I won’t have a problem lazing around for the next ten years!”

“...Haven’t you had enough of doing nothing?”

“Here’s the thing. If you have had enough of working, and also feel the same way about lazing around... Isn’t it better to laze around in that case?”

“...Huh?”

Kang Jin-Ho realized he couldn’t fight back against that logic.

Kang Eun-Yeong went ‘Teehee~!’ while making the familiar coin sign with her fingers. “Besides, I’ve made enough already.”

Kang Jin-Ho’s expression progressively crumpled.

Kang Eun-Yeong proudly exclaimed, “Enough to let me laze around for the rest of my life, you see~!”

“How much could you have earned in that short time?”

“Fufufu~! Don’t underestimate me, orabi! I might not look it, but my maintenance cost is super duper low, you know? Lazing around in the house like this means my only expenses are phone bills and money to buy snacks!”

“...”

Here it was, the proof that she really was a lost cause!

‘I shouldn't have been worried about the Assembly and whatnot!'

Kang Jin-Ho's one and only little sibling was rapidly morphing into this unrecognizable creature right under his nose, so he'd better do something before it was too late!

“Keep this up, and you’ll die all alone as a spinster.”

“Oh, really now? And what's wrong with that?”

“...”

“How could you even think about selling off the apple of your eye, orabi! I’m so disappointed in you!”

“...Don’t worry, nobody wants to buy you.”

“Hah! I might not look it, but I’m more popular than you think. I’m still considered hot stuff, I’ll have you know! So, don’t worry about me and focus on yourself instead.”

Kang Jin-Ho groaned again while shaking his head.

Kang Eun-Yeong cautiously studied her brother's mood before smirking softly. “I’m serious, though. Don’t worry about me. I’m supposed to start picking tracks for my upcoming album tomorrow. It’s just that I couldn’t do anything while switching agencies, you see? I can only start working on my new album when that's done. Which means going on tours is also off the cards for now.”

Kang Jin-Ho sighed deeply. “My dear sister...”

“Yes, my dear orabeoni~?”

“I’m not asking you to get back to work. How about, you know, washing up in the morning? Brushing your teeth? Go out and meet people?”

“No can do. It’s dangerous outside my bed, you know!”

“...Sure. I guess so.”

Kang Jin-Ho promptly gave up. Kang Eun-Yeong wasn't a little kid anymore, so she should know how to take care of herself one way or the other. Probably!

“Okay, so? Where are you going, orabi?”

“To the opening ceremony.”

“To what now? Whose opening ceremony?”

“Mine. I told you that I’ll be launching a company. And today is the day.”

“Huh?! Really?” Kang Eun-Yeong dazedly asked, her eyes powerfully quaking.

Kang Jin-Ho frowned slightly. “What’s the matter now?”

“Y-you are even holding the opening ceremony and stuff? Where will you be holding it?”

“In the company building.”

“Huh?!” Kang Eun-Yeong jumped up in alarm as if this was the first time she heard all this. “W-what? Your company is big enough to hold an opening ceremony? Just how many employees does your company have?”

“Mm? Initially, it will have about two hundred...”

“Eeeeeeeeeh?!”

Kang Jin-Ho grandly flinched at his little sister's visceral reaction. Why was she reacting so strangely like this?

“Mom! Mooooom! Come out here for a sec! Orabi has done something weird again!”

“...”

It seemed this matter was rapidly ballooning out of Kang Jin-Ho’s control.

***

“Okay, so...” Kang Yu-Hwan muttered in flabbergast while scanning his son from top to bottom, causing Kang Jin-Ho to flinch again. “You are holding an opening ceremony for your company, son?”

“...Yes, father.”

“What does your company do, exactly?”

“Well...”

That question had recently become the most cumbersome one to answer for Kang Jin-Ho. Just what did MK do to make money?

Of course he knew the reason for MK's existence. This company was meant to legalize the Martial Assembly's business interests. However, the issue with that was how varied and colorful the Assembly's so-called business ventures were.

At least there was one business type that could be used to represent what MK did, and that was...

“W-we deal in real estate, father.”

A single cold sweat streak trickled down Kang Jin-Ho’s forehead.

The biggest source of income for MK would have to be from collecting rent from buildings located in strategic places around the country, plus profiting from the fluctuating land prices. Besides those, there were also revenues from countless bars and clubs, but those business interests had been dealt with during the Assembly's drive to become a legitimate business entity.

“Real estate?” Kang Yu-Hwan tilted his head in confusion. "When you said you wanted to start a business, I figured it'd be something like a venture capital firm or something. But it's actually a real estate firm? Are you planning to buy some land or building soon?”

“Ah, no, father. We'll be managing what we already have.”

“You’re managing what you already have? Hold on... Did you buy buildings without consulting us first?”

Where should Kang Jin-Ho even start explaining this situation? And how far should he go with it? In the end, he had no choice but to go with the tried-and-true excuse.

“Even though I'm launching this company, I'm not its sole owner. I'm more like its chief executive officer.”

“You are?”

Unfortunately for Kang Jin-Ho, tried-and-true didn’t necessarily guarantee success every time!

Kang Yu-Hwan stared at his son with narrowed eyes, his expression full of mistrust toward his own flesh and blood!

“I heard you have many employees working for you. Is that true?”

Kang Jin-Ho nodded. “Yes, father.”

“Which means those employees get paid by you, right?”

“...Yes, more or less.”

“But you haven’t even finished your uni course in business administration. And you certainly don't hold any MBAs, never mind boasting any extensive experience in business management. Even then, you’re still going to manage such a large company? Are you seriously telling us that you’ll take the responsibility for the livelihood of so many employees?”

“...”

Kang Jin-Ho almost blurted out, But, father, I’m already responsible for the livelihood of an even higher number of people, though?

Baek Hyeon-Jeong quickly sided with her son. “Eii, don’t say it like that, honey. Folks even younger than Jin-Ho run various companies these days. If you can’t even trust your own child, who can?”

Kang Yu-Hwan frowned. “But those folks are gold spoons, to begin with. Or self-made success stories.”

“Jin-Ho is also a self-made man, though. Let's be honest, shall we? Honey, we haven't done much to help with his business ventures until now.”

“Mm...” Kang Yu-Hwan sighed deeply. “Very well. Today’s the opening ceremony, so I shouldn’t say anything unnecessary and jinx it. Still, listen, Jin-Ho.”

“Yes, father.”

“You taking responsibility for your actions isn't the same as taking care of other people. Your mistakes and misjudgments can and will negatively impact their lives, too. You already know how difficult life can get once you lose your job, don't you?”

“Yes, father. I do. I haven’t forgotten.”

“Good. I know you will do a good job. That’s why try to do your best. Always. Be prudent in your dealings, okay?”

“Yes, father. I will,” said Kang Jin-Ho with a firm nod. He knew his father wasn’t trying to nag him here.

When their children wanted to start a business, parents usually would worry about things like ‘Will they blow all their savings?’ and ‘I hope this won’t screw up their lives.’ However, Kang Yu-Hwan was worried about the potential harm to other people's lives from his son's business venture.

That was a wholly different mindset from Kang Jin-Ho's. And it was also why Kang Jin-Ho would always respect his father despite being much older than him.

“I know it all sounds like an unnecessary lecture to you, son. However, I want you to remember this. When my cafe isn't doing so well, my first worry isn't the falling revenue but making sure my employees get paid right. I hope you get what I'm trying to tell you.”

“Yes, I do.”

“Good, good. As long as you remember that,” Kang Yu-Hwan nodded, then stared at his son as a proud father who still felt a little nervous about the future. “Did you seek advice from Chairman Hwang?”

Kang Jin-Ho nodded. “I have.”

“What did he say?”

“He, uh, told me to get a move on...”

“...”

“...”

Kang Yu-Hwan dazedly stared at his son before fake-coughing to clear his throat. “Kuh-hhh-hmm! Is that so?”

Obviously, he shouldn't even dare flap his gums in front of Chairman Hwang Jeong-Hu on the topic of running a successful business. Then again, how many people in this country would dare debate business management with him?

Since someone as accomplished as Hwang Jeong-Hu had urged Kang Jin-Ho on, Kang Yu-Hwan had no room to butt in and offer his advice.

Kang Yu-Hwan sheepishly looked away. “I’m sure Chairman Hwang can see things I can’t. So, what’s the name of your company?”

“It’s called MK.”

“Things seemed to have moved pretty quickly despite you employing quite a few people, son. The legal hurdles must’ve been complex, too.”

“Oh, that. The Prime Minister assisted us a lot in that regard, father.”

Kang Yu-Hwan’s jaw fell slightly. “...Who assisted you?”

Kang Jin-Ho quickly realized his slip-up and clamped his mouth shut. This wasn't something he should carelessly tell other people.

Kang Yu-Hwan's eyes hurriedly scanned all over the living room. His instincts told him that something absolutely ginormous was about to go down, but this son of his was such a tight-lipped kid that making sense of this situation proved damn near impossible!

“...Jin-Ho, is it going to be alright?”

“Yes, father. Of course. You don't have to worry about anything. I know my own limitations better than anyone. My plan is to let professionals handle the overall management and things requiring a more hands-on approach. And I'll just be popping in now and then to show my face.”

“I see. I’m somewhat relieved to hear that,” said Kang Yu-Hwan while scratching his head. He also sighed under his breath.

He had already accepted the fact that his son had left the 'nest' some time ago. Despite his acceptance, though, he still had a hard time trying to wrap his head around the scale of what his son was doing.

All parents wished for their children to become great people. On the other hand, they also worried about their children growing up too fast.

After all, didn't every living father and mother want to be dependable shelters their kids could hide in against the storm?

“Whatever happens, I know you’ll do a good job, son.”

“Thank you, father.”

Baek Hyeon-Jeong gently smiled while listening to the conversation between a father and his son. “You know this is what our son is like. He makes us worried by suddenly doing something outrageous, but he also puts us at ease by doing a great job.”

Kang Yu-Hwan slowly nodded. “Well, yes. That’s true.”

“That’s why let's just let him be. We should trust him.”

“Mm... Yes, you’re right.”

That was when Kang Eun-Yeong suddenly yanked the door to her bedroom open and rushed outside. “Okay! Are you all ready to go?”

“...?”

The other three members of the Kang family dazedly stared back at her.

Kang Yu-Hwan sobered up first and asked, “Ready to go where?”

“Eii, dad! You know!”

“I know what?”

“Of course, to the opening ceremony! Oppa’s about to launch his company, so we should be there too, right? We’re his family and all!”

Kang Yu-Hwan’s brows ominously twitched. “And that’s why you want to attend the ceremony?”

“Yup!”

Only then did Kang Yu-Hwan realize his daughter had finished putting on make-up. Not only that, but she had already put on smart-looking clothes, too!

In other words, she was serious about attending the ceremony.

“Eun-Yeong, come and sit over here,” said Kang Yu-Hwan.

“...Eh?” Kang Eun-Yeong urgently toned down her attitude after noticing the stiff expression on her father’s face.

“Eun-Yeong, are you the one launching the company?”

“No, dad. It's not like that. But, uh, you know I’m still a celebrity and all. So I was thinking of performing in the ceremony as a celebration and...”

“That’s not necessary during an opening ceremony.” 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

“But people do that nowadays, dad.”

“It’s still a no, okay? Don't even think about it,” said Kang Yu-Hwan with a firm head shake. “Families butting in on company matters is bound to cause problems down the line, okay? So, don’t ever think about getting involved in Jin-Ho's company.”

“Eh? But I’m signed to his talent agency?”

“Then, maintain a professional relationship but nothing more than that. Do you understand?”

“...Yes, dad.”

Kang Eun-Yeong responded while pouting in disappointment. However, Kang Yu-Hwan didn’t plan on backing down this time.

Back when he still used to be a taxi driver, one of the things he thought of as an eyesore was clueless sons of company directors behaving like the members of the board.

As long as he was alive, Kang Yu-Hwan would never allow his kids to behave so disgustingly like that!

“Okay, son! You should get going now.”

“Of course. I'll speak to you later, father. Mother.” Kang Jin-Ho got up, then bowed deeply to his parents.

Baek Hyeon-Jeong smiled at her son. “Jin-Ho?”

“Yes, mother?”

“Go break a leg.”

Kang Jin-Ho smiled back at her mother’s bright grin, then headed to the exit.

His family silently watched him leave, before whispering to each other.

“Honey, do you think he... will be alright?”

Kang Yu-Hwan nodded back at his wife. “Of course. He’s our son, after all.”

“If he’s taking after you, I don’t think I can trust him.”

“...”

One of the Kang family’s special traits was that they didn’t seem to know how to maintain a heartwarming atmosphere.