The Time-Limited Leader Makes the Raid a Success - Chapter 31



Only Noblemtl

Episode 31

31. The right time will come.

The evening before the Pocheon field trip.

A shrill, middle-aged woman’s voice pierced into the basement of an old single-family home.

“Hey, Gongduri! Get off the computer and go eat!”

“Okay. I ordered a hamburger.”

“Fast food again? What good is it when mom cooks so carefully? No one eats it.”

“Mom, the food doesn’t taste good.”

“Just open your mouth, bang!”

“Why is Mom so violent? This is why I won’t get married. I’m afraid I’ll end up like Dad.”

“What about marriage, Mosul? Bring your girlfriend and say something like that.”

“No, who said I’m single?”

“The only girlfriend this mom knows of is a roll of toilet paper, you punk.”

“mom!”

“Well, he’s my kid, but I wonder what kind of woman would date him. Who would like a guy who stays home all day? If you want to have a girlfriend, stop playing games and get a job!”

“This isn’t a game. What do you mean, playing a game on the computer? And even if you don’t get a job, you’re still earning a living.”

“Please, son.”

The doorbell rang in the basement where I had found peace after a fierce fight with my mother.

Gongduri pressed the remote control next to him. The front door opened and the sound of footsteps was heard.

“The delivery has arrived.”

“Oh my, Team Leader Kang. At the table next to me… Please wait a moment. It’s almost done.”

Kang Moo-hyuk placed the bag on the table and glanced at the work that Gong Du-ri was concentrating on.

“Are you hacking the guild system again? I told you not to.”

“Eight, I’m done for today. What kind of guy is he? No matter how much I beat him, he won’t break— keke!”

Only after Kang Mu-hyeok’s fist had slammed into his scalp did Gong Du-ri take her hands off the keyboard.

“Ahh… . Tsk tsk… .”

“If I get caught, I hope my name won’t be revealed. I don’t want to leave a stain on my career.”

“You won’t get caught. You won’t get caught. Doing business for a day or two. Search the whole world. You won’t be able to count on one hand the number of people you can catch.”

“Mr. Gongduri should have been kept in the guild and monitored somehow. He was caught opening a top-secret Titan document and was kicked out, as they say, and now he’s doing the same thing here?”

“I wasn’t caught online. I was caught offline.”

“I’m not bragging. I should be thankful I didn’t turn him over to the police.”

“Thanks to you, I’m able to use it like this. Hehe.”

Gongduri slid to the table on a wheeled chair like a sled. Kang Mu-hyeok reached out his hand as he took a bite of the hamburger he had bought.

“When you’re in a hurry, you look for me. Hey, give me a reward. I searched the correctional headquarters database to find information on prisoners.”

“Where are the other materials?”

“Here it is.”

When Gong Du-ri held out the USB, Kang Mu-hyeok took out a thick envelope from his bosom and threw it at her.

Gongduri wiped his hands, which were stained with sauce, on his pants, then opened the envelope and checked the contents.

“Sniff sniff. Hmm, the smell of money is the best. When you called after such a long time, I wondered what was going on, and you’re asking for all these part-time jobs. When I asked you, you said you left Titan? Did you find another job?”

“This is Taesung Guild. Don’t you watch the news?”

“Oh! Taesung? That big company, right?”

“Yes. I was appointed as the head of the department there.”

“Oh, a captain. Wow! You’ve made it big. Team Leader Kang Mu-hyeok. But captain? Is that like Gilma? You’ll get a big salary, right?”

“Yes, it’s quite possible. I’ll use the computer here.”

Kang Moo-hyuk opened the laptop next to him and checked the data contained on the USB.

Kang Moo-hyuk, who had roughly memorized the information in the short time it took Gongduri to finish one hamburger set, chewed over the information and thought about how to use it.

“But what’s the story? There’s a guy from Woojungdo working for the Slayer Guild’s subcontracted item manufacturing company. It’s not even a guild. He’s the same cellmate as Noh Song-rin, who the team leader, no, the captain, told me to look into. Why are you asking me to look into it?”

“We’re not sure yet, we just have some guesses.”

“What are you guessing?”

Kang Moo-hyuk sorted through the information he had gathered piecemeal in his head.

‘Guild leader Ju Se-ah is the illegitimate daughter of Tae Jin-seong, the chairman of Tae Sung Group. The guild leader joined Slayer 10 years ago. She was famous as a promising prospect who was the first teenager to join a tier guild. The following year, Tae Sung Group established the guild. The Slayer Guild was the one that consulted on the guild in its early days. Are the two related? Noh Song-rin joined Tae Sung 4 years ago. She joined at the recommendation of the guild leader at the time, Chu In-ho. Chu In-ho was previously active as the expedition leader of the mid-sized guild ‘Great Honor’, and joined the Slayer Guild after leaving Tae Sung. And this person here.’

Kang Moo-hyuk stared intently at the man in the photo floating on the monitor.

Kim Myung-jun.

He was imprisoned in Ujungdo on suspicion of murdering Hunter.

He was in Ujungdo at the same time as Noh Song-rin, and was released after 7 years through some trickery. He is currently working as the managing director of a small to medium-sized company specializing in item post-processing.

‘An A-rank hunter wears a tie and lives a quiet life? Isn’t that blatantly suspicious?’

Based on this information, Kang Moo-hyuk drew two strong conclusions.

First of all, it’s a Slayer Guild affiliated manufacturer.

This type of camouflage was similar to the way a lower guild was run.

Although it may appear to be a small business, it is likely that it is run like a guild on the inside.

‘The most suspicious one is the cleaner. He’s a former executive with a murder conviction, and he’s not the type to run a business. Titan tried to create a similar organization. Every Tier Guild has at least one.’

The Titan Guild would never have allowed such an organization while Kang Mu-hyeok was the strategy team leader. I don’t know what would have happened after his retirement.

‘And the remaining possibility is a stepping stone towards the Taesung Guild.’

Judging from his actions, Taesung Group Chairman seemed to have no interest in the guild, except for Joo Se-ah. It was different from other large corporations who tried to use him as a personal soldier or problem solver.

What if the Tier Guild has planted a spy in the guild of a large corporation that the chairman is indifferent to?

“Is this a satellite guild?”

“Why are there suddenly satellite guilds? Aren’t they illegal, like lower-level guilds?”

“Satellite is a bit different from the lower ones. It’s closer to a secretly permitted method rather than an illegal one.”

There was a slight difference between lower guilds and satellite guilds in the guild industry.

The lower guilds were illegal organizations whose very existence was kept secret. Most of their activities were crimes.

On the other hand, the satellite guilds are completely strangers, not even related in terms of registration or contractual relationship.

However, it was a guild that everyone in the industry recognized as being under the influence of the upper guild.

It was often used as a scapegoat to shield people from trouble or to run away with money.

To put it simply, it acts as a sandbag.

“What is it? I know a little bit about it. Why does it suddenly look fun?”

“Mr. Gongduri, ignorance is bliss. If you go too deep and are tracked down, your safety cannot be guaranteed.”

“Hey, that’s not true. Off-line, the Hunter is the best, but online, I’m the best.”

“Stop your useless concerns and dig a little deeper.”

“Where? Hansung Enterprise? Why this company?”

“There must be more than one executive director from Woojungdo among the employees. Please find out about the employees’ personal information and what kind of company they work for.”

“Security itself isn’t that great, and the corporate system is also poorly constructed, so there’s not much information that can be extracted through hacking. It’s a company where all you do is touch metal.”

“We need to look into the offline side separately.”

“Are you going to use that detective?”

“Who else could I ask for a favor in secret, other than my old comrades?”

“Oh, this is true. I don’t really like gatherings with people from my previous job. I don’t have any good memories of them. If that’s the case, then you should have gotten Taesung a job. I should also wear a badge from a big company. I think I’m going crazy from all that nagging.”

“The right time will come sooner or later.”

* * *

Currently, the Pocheon field trip site.

Noh Song-rin grumbled and kicked the floor several times before getting into the car.

Joo Se-ah approached Kang Mu-hyeok and asked him secretly.

“What were you talking about with Noh Song-rin for so long?”

“We just had a few constructive conversations.”

“With that human? Wouldn’t it be more constructive to chat with the orc?”

“I don’t know if he’s an orc, but he’s more communicative than you might think. Let’s go back to the guild now.”

‘It’s probably better if Joo Gilma doesn’t know yet. It’s not like he’d go to the Slayer Guild and turn things upside down again.’

The day after returning to the guild.

Joo Se-ah heard a shocking declaration from Noh Song-rin in the morning.

“I fully agree with the Taesung Guild’s relocation to Bukpocheon and registration of its ancestral seat. I will assist Guild Master Ju Se-ah to ensure that the relocation goes smoothly.”

“Um… So. Uh, again… What kind of conspiracy? Or a hidden camera?”

“Conspiracy? That’s too bad. It’s not a hidden camera. I just sympathize with the vision of Director Kang Moo-hyeok. I felt like this is the direction I should go in from now on.”

‘Kang Mu-hyeok, what kind of fraud did this guy commit again?’

While Joo Se-ah was meeting Noh Song-rin with an ambiguous, distorted face that was neither smiling nor crying, Kang Moo-hyuk went to see Choi Mi-ran.

“Choi Mi-ran Hunter. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you in the parking lot on the day of your inauguration.”

“Yes? Yes… . Haha… . At that time, I was rude to the captain… .”

“No, that could be possible. They probably thought I was an outsider.”

“Yeah, that’s right. I’m really shy, so I get a bit prickly when I meet people who aren’t from my guild.”

“Since the guild will be moving soon anyway, I’ll just leave the parking lot issue alone. Just use the space as it is.”

“Boss. Regarding the guild relocation, are you really going to Bukpocheon?”

“Yes. I’m going. Next month.”

“Eww! That fast?”

Kim Seong-hyeon, who had been loitering nearby, suddenly intervened.

“Is there a problem?”

“No. It’s not that it’s a problem… It’s just that it happened so suddenly.”

As Kim Sung-hyun’s face distorted, Kang Mu-hyeok crossed his arms and nodded as if he understood.

“As Hunter Kim Seong-hyeon said, there are some aspects that are a bit rushed. I think other people will also be very confused.”

“That’s right. We’re just cowards. But it would have been nice if you had given us a convincing reason before the guild transfer… … .”

Choi Mi-ran took up the phone, thinking that this was a chance to talk about the complaints she had been unable to express until now.

Kang Moo-hyuk pretended to be thinking seriously and then said.

“Then, how about doing it like this?”

“How?”

“Please gather together the hunters who are dissatisfied or anxious about this transfer around Hunter Choi Mi-ran and Hunter Kim Seong-hyeon. It may not be enough to call it an explanation session, but how about I listen to the hunters’ questions directly and think about whether there are any areas where we can resolve them?”

“Oh? Could you do that? Everyone was already worried about what to do. That’s great.”

Kang Moo-hyuk rolled up his sleeves and tapped his watch as he spoke.

“Let’s talk over lunch. I’ll reserve a restaurant. How many minutes can you come?”

“About 54 people in the group chat? About 30 of them could probably come?”

“I’ll reserve a seat and let you know when I’ve made a restaurant reservation. Everyone, come over and have a meal together and discuss the future of the guild.”

* * *

“Gilma-nim. Team Kang Mu-hyeok… Is it true that Team Leader Kang of Taeseong proposed the acquisition of Warehouse C?”

“It probably hasn’t been made official yet. You managed to find it out. We’ve already exchanged contracts.”

Matthew glared at Lee Cheol-jung’s answer.

Although it was blatant hostility, Lee Cheol-jung passed it off as nothing serious.

“I’m sure Bugilma is happy too. He’s able to deal with the guild’s troublemakers.”

“Huh? I’m so happy. I’ll be able to deliver good news to the board of directors and shareholders.”

“It won’t be bad news for you either. The fact that Director Kang Mu-hyeok is taking over Warehouse C means that he has no lingering attachment to our guild.”

Matthew felt a pang as if his true feelings had been revealed.

Certainly, Kang Mu-hyeok has had an attachment to Warehouse C since long ago.

Even though Kang Moo-hyuk had signed a memorandum stating that he would never return to Titan, Lee Cheol-jung could always try to get him to return if he failed.

However, taking Warehouse C eased concerns about Kang Mu-hyeok’s return.

In a way, Kang Moo-hyuk was telling Matthew that he would never return to the Titan Guild.

‘That doesn’t mean that dealing with Warehouse C was such a good thing. One of Gilma’s weaknesses disappeared. Was it Captain Kang’s last gift?’

C Warehouse and Kang Mu-hyeok.

Gilma eliminated one weakness and threw away a powerful weapon.

Which side wins?

I still couldn’t figure it out.

“That C warehouse… Does Manager Kang really think that it can succeed? It doesn’t look that great to me.”

“I’m the same way. That’s why I’ve kept it in storage for years. But strangely, it doesn’t seem like it’ll fail again. You know Captain Kang’s personality, right? If it doesn’t work out, he’ll cut it off quickly. He’s definitely the one who makes the decision and breaks it. If Captain Kang is dragging it out like this, there must be something going on. He’s now gone to a different guild, but it’ll be fun to watch.”

Lee Cheol-jung spoke with a smile, but Matthew did not feel very comfortable.

Amid the industry-wide turmoil caused by the revival of the short-term system, news broke out that the Taesung Guild was moving to the Bukpocheon Special Zone, making it its home base.

This decision was welcomed by the Guild Cooperation Agency, which announced that it would spare no effort in providing support at the government level.

Each guild had missed the timing to protest to the leader, and public opinion was forming in the direction of waiting and watching for now.

Some guilds under large corporations also watched with interest.

An unprecedented battle of wits has begun in the guild industry.

‘If Chief Kang leaves Seoul, it wouldn’t be a bad thing from my perspective.’

Why am I so anxious?

It felt like I had thrown some kind of magnetic disaster far away for a moment.

I never knew that one day we would come together again.

‘Let’s not worry about that for now. The important thing right now is to take over Titan. We need to focus here.’

If everything goes according to plan, there’s nothing we can do whether Kang Mu-hyeok returns or not.

Matthew wanted to quietly hand over the C warehouse and cut ties with Kang Mu-hyeok as soon as possible.