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< Expiration date >
“Never, ever do anything violent!”
Baek Young-hee had already been repeating the same thing several times.
I nodded with a tired expression.
“I told you, I know. Do you really think I’d cause trouble there?”
Baek Young-hee nodded with an uneasy expression.
“Yes. If you’re the team leader, that’s enough···.”
“Oh my.”
What on earth does this woman think of me?
Even though I wasn’t full of common sense and culture, I was a person who knew how to distinguish between time and place.
Of course, you’re going to go recruit team members and throw some punches.
“I’ll just go there and watch quietly. You should do a good job recruiting.”
“Really? You promise to stay calm no matter what happens?”
“Oh, that’s right.”
We were now on our way to the Black Hound Guild headquarters in my private vehicle.
Preparations for conquering the ‘Labyrinth of the Fallen Soul’.
The first one was a sturdy tanker.
Since there will likely be many dangerous situations, we need someone who can stand strong in front.
As it turned out, there was a tank that I had already reserved.
The King’s Rescue of the Black Hound Guild.
I asked Baek Yeong-hee to recruit him three days ago, but when I asked, she said that negotiations were taking a long time due to the guild’s deposit issue.
I asked Baek Young-hee to finalize the recruitment of Wang Gu-ho today.
Five days is a pretty tight time to even make that guy usable.
“Yes? Today? No matter what, today···.”
Baek Young-hee shook her head, saying it was impossible.
“You’re not saying you don’t have that much ability, are you?”
“···What did you say?”
When her pride was slightly touched, Baek Young-hee got angry and made a phone call to someone.
And shortly after,
“I have a meeting scheduled with the Black Hound manager this evening. But···”
Baek Young-hee continued speaking with a slightly uneasy expression.
“The team leader over there also made a condition that I attend the meeting. I have a bad feeling about this…”
“Really? It’s just a matter of going.”
So, we were now on our way to Blackhound headquarters in my private vehicle.
Baek Young-hee’s expression was not good the whole time she was in the car.
“Originally, we were going to negotiate for about two more weeks to lower the deposit… But if we recruit him so hastily, we’ll have to pay a much higher amount than we expected.”
It’s not my money anyway.
I leaned back against the cushion leisurely.
The team leader’s special vehicle provided by the guild had an amazing ride.
“Don’t be stingy with your money. No matter how much you give him, he’ll give you back several times over.”
“Really? In fact, our guild’s self-evaluation is the opposite.”
“Don’t you know what you’re doing? You’ll be thanking me later… Hey, kid!”
I was so surprised that I couldn’t even speak.
While I was talking to Baek Yeong-hee, Lily seemed to have found a box of snacks in the car like a ghost.
The little boy with chocolate smeared all over his mouth finally turned to me.
“why?”
“Oh my. Come here.”
I took out wet tissues from the cupboard and wiped the little one’s mouth and hands with them.
“don’t do it!”
My hands became busier as I pulled the little one who was struggling to get away.
“Why don’t you stay still? It’s all over the car seat!”
You little brat. You marked your territory with snack crumbs all over the new car you just got today.
I said, closing the snack box and placing it next to me.
“No snacks in the car.”
“No! I’m going to eat it!”
I caught the little one running towards the snack box and put him in a headlock to punish him.
“How dare you pick on a brat like that.”
“Eww! Let go of me!”
At that moment, a laughter was heard from in front.
The owner of the voice was my personal driver, Park Young-bae.
“I heard you two are siblings. You seem to get along really well.”
“···Does it look like that?”
Mr. Park Young-bae was a veteran driver in his fifties with a good impression.
“Yes. And don’t worry about the sheets. I’ll clean them for you.”
“···I’m sorry for adding to your workload because of this brat. Hey. I apologize to you too.”
As I translated into Gaian, Lily spoke in the short Korean she was just learning.
“···Please do it. Become a better person.”
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At that moment, a smile appeared on Park Young-bae’s lips.
“Oh my, you’re pretty. It’s okay. It’s my job. By the way, are there any inconveniences for the three of you? I’m still not good at driving at this age…”
I shook my head at his excessive humility.
“It’s very comfortable. The driving is very smooth.”
“Haha. Thank you. If there’s anything that’s inconvenient, please let me know right away.”
“······.”
In fact, I feel a bit awkward and uncomfortable whenever I meet someone who seems so kind.
I’d rather deal with people who are rude and speak informally to me.
Is it because I’ve seen so many of those kinds of people in my life?
I spoke quietly so that only Baek Young-hee could hear.
“The driver will probably be someone younger than me, so I can exploit him.”
Then Baek Young-hee also spoke quietly.
“Oh my. When did you tell me to pick everything myself?”
“I didn’t know my secretary had such no sense.”
At those words, Baek Young-hee glared at me.
“···Then should I change you to someone else?”
I shook my head as if I was annoyed.
“Okay. We’ve already exchanged greetings.”
Besides, the old knight was already becoming friendly with the little boy.
“Little girl. Would you like a snack from Grandpa?”
Lily couldn’t understand what he was saying, but she nodded with all her might when she saw the jelly he took out of his pocket.
“···Yes!”
“Oh my, how pretty.”
The knight, who had handed the jelly to the little boy, patted the boy’s head a few times with one hand.
The little boy was busy eating the jelly, not paying any attention to the hand.
I clicked my tongue at the sight.
“Tsk tsk.”
What are you going to do if you get sick from eating anything like that?
After a while, we arrived at our destination, the Black Hound Guild Headquarters.
As I was opening the car door to get out, the driver hurriedly got out and opened the door for me.
“······.”
I got out of the car without saying a word. The driver took a step back and bowed at a nearly 90-degree angle.
“Then have a safe trip. I will wait here.”
I said, frowning.
“Excuse me, sir.”
“yes!”
“Don’t do this again.”
“Huh? Did I make a mistake…”
I sighed softly as I watched the knight raise his head in surprise.
“Please don’t bow down and greet me. And don’t open the car door for me. It makes me uncomfortable.”
Baek Young-hee, who got out of the car following me, looked at me with a slightly surprised expression.
Lily glared at me, asking why I was making such a face at the kind old man.
Of course, the one who was most embarrassed was the knight.
“This was originally my job···.”
“I don’t like it. From now on, just drive properly.”
“···Yes. I understand.”
Reporter Park Young-bae smiled awkwardly and nodded.
I passed him and headed for the elevator.
Baek Young-hee followed me and said.
“Are you a little worried?”
“What is it?”
“I thought the team leader would like to be supported by someone···.”
“Is there anyone who doesn’t like that?”
Unless the person you’re talking to reminds you of your father who passed away at the First Gate.
“Should I change the driver?”
“Oh, that’s what I said. Why are you trying to make a good driver unemployed?”
At that moment, Baek Young-hee made a sinister expression.
“To be honest, Team Leader, you don’t have a handsome face. Do you know that you’re getting more and more handsome?”
“Oh, okay. Okay. Let’s get to work.”
We took the elevator up.
The Black Hound headquarters was larger than the White House, because this was a guild that relied on quantity rather than quality.
Before I returned, this was the first guild I signed with when I was 20 years old.
For the first three years after I awakened as a superhuman, I literally suffered to the point of death here.
A place with far more nightmares than memories.
Coming back there again…
All the memories from that time were condensed into a single word, and it came out of my mouth without me knowing.
“f*ck···.”
At that moment, Lily looked up at me with a face full of anticipation.
“Is there anything delicious here?!”
*
*
*
When we got to the agreed upon location, there were three people from Black Hound at the meeting.
Wang Gu-ho, the party concerned.
Jang Seok-hyeon, the team leader of the team he belongs to.
And Blackhound’s recruiting manager, Kim Hyeon-tae.
Hehe.
Kim Hyun-tae, a man with a pale expression like a vampire, smiled broadly and asked to shake my hand.
“Nice to meet you. My name is Kim Hyun-tae, in charge of recruiting for Black Hound.”
The moment I saw Kim Hyun-tae, I had a strange thought.
Why did this little shit come out?
Kim Hyun-tae was the cousin of the leader of the Black Hound Guild, and was a villain who did all kinds of dirty things.
He was also famous for not being picky about the means to achieve his goals.
The unique, snickering laughter made the other person feel uneasy or uncomfortable.
He’s a guy who mostly does dirty work that requires threats or intimidation.
I smiled as I took the hand that Kim Hyun-tae extended to me.
“Nice to meet you. I am the landlord.”
After a while, the six of us sat facing each other.
Besides us, there were more than 10 security guards waiting in the room.
They all had guns, a ploy on Blackhound’s part to create intimidation and make the deal more advantageous.
Of course, none of us would be intimidated by something like that.
Baek Young-hee said.
“We’re both busy, so let’s get straight to the point. We’d like to bring Wang Guho from the Black Hound Guild.”
Hehe.
Kim Hyun-tae said with a hearty laugh.
“I heard the story. But as you know, Wang Guho is a very important person in our guild.”
It doesn’t matter whatsoever.
If you were to pick the most useless superhuman in Black Hound, the one who would definitely be in the top three would be the current Wang Gu-ho.
In other words, they are trying to sell the Wang Guho at a high price.
But Baek Young-hee was also experienced.
“We also know very well what kind of person Wang Gu-ho is. He has great skills, but unfortunately, he is going through a difficult time because he does not fit well with his current team.”
Wang Guho flinched at her words, then immediately lowered his head.
Kim Hyun-tae said, glancing over at him.
“Wang Gu-ho is still young, and we believe in his potential. I think what’s important is not the present, but the future.”
“The future does not guarantee the value of the present.”
“I don’t think so···.”
I just sat there quietly listening to the ongoing conversation between the two people.
“······.”
I planned to stay quiet until the transaction was finished, just as Baek Young-hee had told me to.
While eating coffee and cake placed on the table in front of you.
Hororok.
While drinking my coffee, I glanced at the little boy.
The boy had already finished his share of cake and was eyeing the other cake with his fork raised.
I pushed my cake towards the little one and looked at Wang Guho.
Buzz buzz buzz buzz.
Wang Gu-ho had been restless since a while ago.
His anxious gaze kept shaking from side to side, and cold sweat formed on his forehead as if he was sick.
···He was originally a timid guy, but was he really that bad?
While I was observing the Wang Guho, the negotiations continued.
Kim Hyun-tae’s position was that he could not reduce even a single penny from the total deposit.
He showed Wang Gu-ho’s contract to Baek Yeong-hee and said.
“You must pay the full 5 billion won in deposit as written here.”
Of course, Baek Young-hee tried to reduce the amount somehow.
“When evaluating Wang Guho’s activities during his time at Black Hound, his value cannot exceed 1 billion at most.”
How dare you say something like that when I’m right in front of you.
At times like this, Baek Young-hee is also quite poisonous.
Anyway, the tug-of-war between the two continued, and eventually the story seemed to be settled at the 3 billion mark.
That was when.
Hehe.
Kim Hyun-tae took something out of his bosom with an unpleasant smile.
“Oh, come to think of it, I forgot.”
That was Wang Guho’s contract.
However, the content was different from the contract that Baek Young-hee had been looking at until now.
Hehe.
A sadistic smile spread across Kim Hyun-tae’s face.
“Before you all came, Wang Guho and I renewed our contract.”
“what···.”
When Baek Yeong-hee turned her head to glare at Wang Gu-ho, Wang Gu-ho avoided her gaze.
…Ugh, that idiot. So that’s what happened.
Kim Hyun-tae said, holding back his laughter.
“Now, as you can see here, the deposit is 10 billion. Then, shall we start the negotiation again?”
At that moment, Baek Young-hee suddenly got up from her seat.
“you···!”
Baek Young-hee probably couldn’t stand being teased for over an hour.
It was a situation that was enough to make me angry, and I could have just slapped Kim Hyun-tae in the face.
But things didn’t escalate any further than that, as I grabbed her wrist before that.
“Stop it. Hitting him will only make things worse.”
I know black hounds better than anyone.
These kids were hoping we’d cause trouble here.
The security guards there were recording our conversation, and there were cameras everywhere filming us.
“but···!”
Baek Yeong-hee looked back at me with bloodshot eyes. I sighed and said to her, who was so angry that she didn’t know what to do.
“He told me to stay calm.”
“······.”
“Calm down. Let’s go back.”
“···all right.”
We stood up from our seats. Kim Hyun-tae continued to snicker.
“Are you just going to leave? Don’t you need Wang Guho?”
“······.”
Baek Young-hee ignored Kim Hyun-tae’s words and packed her bag.
“Please contact us when you feel better. We don’t intend to sell it for that much either.”
When Baek Young-hee didn’t answer, Kim Hyun-tae changed his target and provoked me.
“Landlord. I heard that you personally requested to recruit Wang Guho. What do you think made you fall for our Guho?”
Kim Hyun-tae’s specialty is making a fuss and complaining.
Since I knew Kim Hyun-tae well, I felt no emotion at all at his provocation.
Of course, if you have a tank like Wang Gu-ho, it will be easier to clear the dungeon. However, it is not impossible without one.
There is also a Guardian’s Bracelet, and you can get various things to replace it.
“Younghee, let’s go.”
Even as we turned around and headed for the door, Kim Hyun-tae didn’t stop picking a fight.
This time, Lily was the target.
“Honey, did you enjoy the cake?”
Lily, who couldn’t understand what was being said, didn’t even know that Kim Hyun-tae was calling her.
“You really ate well. Was it delicious?”
The guy continued talking, grumbling.
“But that cake was way past its expiration date. You might get a stomachache, so you should go to the hospital quickly.”
Towering.
At that moment, I stopped walking.
“···These f*cking bastards.”
The next moment, I was standing in front of Kim Hyun-tae.
Before his eyes could even widen in surprise, my palm slapped his cheek.
Crack!
The inside of my cheek burst and my teeth fell out like corn.
“Hyun-tae!”
A surprised Jang Seok-hyeon ran towards me.
Jang Seok-hyeon. He was the team leader I used to work for, but now he is no longer my match.
Papababapak!
After a few punches, Jang Seok-hyeon collapsed to the floor.
I kicked him into the corner and then picked up Kim Hyun-tae who had fallen to the floor.
“Ugh, ugh···.”
The guy was so shocked that he couldn’t even speak properly.
“What? It’s past its expiration date?”
“Ugh···.”
“Know that today is the day your life expires.”
I stuffed all the cake that was left on the table into Kim Hyun-tae’s mouth.
“Ugh, ugh···.”
When he was forced to swallow what he was about to spit out by shoving it down his throat, he burst into tears and eventually passed out.
I threw the unconscious Kim Hyun-tae to the floor and looked back at the security guards standing there with astonished faces and said.
“No need to talk much. Tell your representatives to come.”
ⓒ Ganjjajang
