Descent of the Demon Master-Chapter 1069. Revising (4)

“Minister Seok, sir. Our feast has not started yet. Perhaps starting off so soon is a bit premature?”

Lee Hyeon-Su tried to sound civil and polite, but the reply he got for his trouble remained curt.

“I get to decide that, not you,” said Seok Dong-Su.

Lee Hyeon-Su inwardly groaned.

‘This is why dealing with boomers can be so cumbersome...’

Judging from how heavy his chest felt like a boulder, it seemed working in the Assembly’s HQ for too long had considerably weakened Lee Hyeon-Su’s immunity toward a-holes like this politician.

Despite the stuffy feeling, though, Lee Hyeon-Su was rather familiar with this type of person. Which was understandable, considering martial artists were fairly similar in disposition to Seok Dong-Su.

Fundamentally, they were all overbearing. They thought looking down on those deemed beneath them was par for the course. One didn’t have to look far for an example since Kim Seok-Il, Lee Hyeon-Su’s former boss, fit that description to a T.

‘...No, wait.’

Compared to Kim Seok-Il, this politician named Seok was nothing more than a little sapling. You could search this world high and low and still not find a snake more venomous and sly than Kim Seok-Il, after all!

Lee Hyeon-Su guessed that Seok Dong-Su must be feeling quite humiliated right now.

Being forced into attending a negotiation with a party he didn't even want to talk to was already humiliating enough, yet the other party didn't bother to dispatch its leader but some young punk instead! This situation must be unbearably irritating to the politician.

Lee Hyeon-Su understood all that. Of course, that didn’t mean he’d let the other side dictate the pace of the proceedings.

“Minister Seok...” Lee Hyeon-Su smiled smoothly again. “We have many things to talk about. It won't be too late to get down to the business at hand after wetting our throats with good alcohol first.”

Seok Dong-Su frowned a little just then. A hint of anger was clearly visible in his expression. His irritation level must be shooting up even higher after a wet-behind-the-ear brat dared to talk right back.

Lee Hyeon-Su continued to evaluate the politician.

‘So, he’s definitely not the upright person as I’ve heard...’

That didn’t surprise Lee Hyeon-Su since he did not trust politicians as far as he could throw them.

Compared to the super-cynical, lying-through-teeth elected officials, appointed officials like this Seok Dong-Su still retained some hints of humanity. However... He was still a snake, albeit without venom. And last time Lee Hyeon-Su checked, a venomless snake was still a snake!

The world might think of Seok Dong-Su as an upright man, but evaluations were just that, evaluations.

A man who distinguished himself through various achievements and garnered accolades till he climbed to the position of a government minister was a moral, upstanding citizen? A camel squeezing through the eye of a needle had a higher chance of happening than that!

This man was yet another survivor of the fierce dog-eat-dog world called the South Korean political landscape. A world where one had to step over the corpses of their opponents until they came out on top!

Just before Seok Dong-Su could say something, he was interrupted by a gentle knock on the door. He glared at the doorway and yelled, “Come in!”

Even before the echo of his irritated yell could dissipate, the door opened wide. Several waiters diligently and politely brought in new food to replace the untouched starters on the dining table.

Before long, the table was filled with such a hearty feast that it wouldn't have been strange to see the table legs bend from all the weight!

The manager politely bowed. “Then, please enjoy your meal.”

The waiters and the manager left while silently closing the door. Lee Hyeon-Su picked up the bottle of alcohol. “Minister Seok. Would you grant me this honor of pouring you a cup?”

“Hmm...” Seok Dong-Su still grunted in displeasure but failed to hide traces of his lips curling up a little.

Lee Hyeon-Su smirked inwardly while pouring the booze into the minister’s cup. He felt at home dealing with Seok Dong-Su’s type.

Why did dictators become dictators? Why did powerful rulers choose not to eliminate all treacherous retainers from their courts?

Was it because they were idiots? Of course not. An idiot could never become a ruler, never mind a dictator, after all!

Such people boasted 'better' qualities than their fellow men. And that was why they could reach such positions. However, even such people still found it impossible to eliminate the treacherous snakes from their inner circle... Especially if those snakes constantly sucked up to them!

The reason for this phenomenon was simple enough. The increase in the number of people kissing your butt was an indirect proof of your power growing in scale!

Political power was rather tricky to measure. No, maybe it was nearly impossible to do so. Unlike wealth or violence that could be estimated in numbers, political power was based on “relationships.”

Indeed, you could only appreciate your political power from how much others respected or feared you.

In that sense, flattery was more like a medium for the ruler to feel the vastness and strength of their political power. And that was precisely why rulers and dictators could never kick out those showering them with flattery.

They needed someone to help them feel their power, after all!

Human history was littered with examples of countless rulers failing to eliminate treacherous retainers from their courts.

‘Which makes sense if you think about it.’

Would it be easy for someone boasting vast political power to get rid of an indicator of their power and suppress their desire? When it was human nature to boast to their neighbors about making some money and tell the whole world about how they scored perfect grades during the last exams?

In that case, wouldn't it be inconsiderably cruel to those in power if they had to pretend they didn't wield this as-intoxicating-as-narcotics political power?

This was why those in power could never get rid of the snakes showering them with flattery. They might pretend to be wary, but in the end? They would still let those treacherous snakes into their inner circles.

‘...And that’s what you must be thinking.’

Lee Hyeon-Su smirked inwardly. It was easy enough to guess what Seok Dong-Su must be thinking right now. He must be thinking, ‘Hah! It doesn’t matter if you’re the Martial Assembly or whatever, in the end you’re nothing in front of me!’

Since that was the case... For now, Lee Hyeon-Su decided to let the politician enjoy the moment.

Once Seok Dong-Su’s cup was filled to the brim, the politician took the booze bottle and filled Lee Hyeon-Su’s cup. He then raised his cup a little. “Let’s share a toast, then.”

“Of course.”

The two men briefly raised their cups before downing the bitter liquor in one go. Lee Hyeon-Su immediately refilled Seok Dong-Su's empty cup, then cautiously raised his voice. “I'd like to offer my sincerest apologies for asking you to come so far, Minister Seok. This matter was a little too delicate to discuss within Seoul's city limits, unfortunately...”

“It’s fine. I did permit it, anyway.”

“Thank you, Minister Seok.”

“Besides all that...” Seok Dong-Su licked his lips while tapping aimlessly at his cup. “You are the representative of the Martial Assembly in this meeting? Really?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Why? Your Assembly doesn't have any higher-ranking people or something?”

Lee Hyeon-Su smiled strangely. Since the minister cared enough to ask, he should be rewarded for his troubles, no?

“I'd like to offer another apology for this arrangement, Minister Seok. I'm aware that my station isn't high enough to attend a crucial negotiation with someone in your position. All I can ask for is your gracious understanding on the matter, as our side is dealing with an unavoidable circumstance at the moment.”

“An unavoidable circumstance, you say?”

“Yes, sir. People with seniority and rank more suitable for this meeting no longer are with us in the Assembly, you see?”

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Seok Dong-Su tilted his head slightly. “Huh? What happened?”

Lee Hyeon-Su replied relaxedly. “They were all killed, sir.”

“...!”

The atmosphere within the room suddenly grew colder.

Lee Hyeon-Su casually shrugged. “Such events occur frequently in our neck of the woods, unfortunately. The battle for political supremacy in our world doesn’t end with the loser giving up their seat of power like in the surface world, you see? If only this meeting had taken place a little earlier! We could have asked our elders with more suitable age and rank to speak on our behalf.

“Unfortunately, not a single person fitting that description had been spared from the slaughter. For that, I sincerely apologize.”

Seok Dong-Su failed to notice that Lee Hyeon-Su's tone had shifted ever so slightly. He even failed to notice the unnerved expression cramping his face, too.

“Kuh-hum! I-is that right?”

“Yes, sir. Although revealing such grisly details to you could be considered against manners, not giving you an honest answer to your questions didn't feel right to me. I hope you can forgive my rudeness.”

“...You’re not being rude, so it’s fine.”

Seok Dong-Su’s attitude had become a tad... gentler just then.

Lee Hyeon-Su grinned subtly while studying Seok Dong-Su’s expression.

‘Yes, keep thinking long and hard like that.’

Seok Dong-Su must be seriously pondering something important right now. And that was about how much of his political power affected the Martial Assembly. Also, if his position could guarantee his ‘safety’ from the Martial Assembly or not!

After all, he must’ve heard enough stories of the Assembly from the others by now.

Just before Lee Hyeon-Su could say anything, Seok Dong-Su’s phone suddenly began ringing. The politician frowned while checking the phone’s screen, then gingerly got up. “Excuse me for a sec.”

“Of course, sir.”

Seok Dong-Su ambled outside the room along with his aide. Lee Hyeon-Su silently waited. However, more time than he’d like passed. Enough to make him slightly nervous.

Seok Dong-Su eventually returned to the room.

“Kuh-hum!” He fake-coughed as if to hide his embarrassment while sitting down. Then, he got right down to business. “So, you want to turn the Martial Assembly into a legitimate business entity?”

“Yes, sir,” Lee Hyeon-Su replied politely. Seizing the initiative was important, but this was ultimately a negotiation. Ruthlessly suppressing the other side wasn’t always the right move.

“Is there a need to do that, though?” Seok Dong-Su asked while filling Lee Hyeon-Su’s cup with booze. “You guys already have it good, don’t you? Coming out into the open like this will only make things more cumbersome for you. Isn’t that right?”

What Seok Dong-Su said could be interpreted as, ‘If you don’t become a legitimate business entity, it’ll be business as usual for everyone involved. However, if you do... We won’t be able to bend the rules for you anymore.’

Lee Hyeon-Su took a sip of the booze before replying, “Isn’t it a good thing to be in the light instead of hiding in the shadows?”

“Yes. It is a good thing, indeed,” Seok Dong-Su grinned. “Look, Mister Lee.”

“Yes, sir?”

“Let’s drop all this pretense, okay? I prefer quick and clean resolutions, you know?”

“I also prefer that, sir.”

“Good. Okay, so! Our side doesn't have a reason to say no to this. According to the data you've provided us with... Your side possesses some gobsmacking level of wealth. That sure shocked me, you know that?”

“Thank you for saying that, sir. But it’s just some trifling amount.”

“If that’s trifling, everyone except the top five corporations should kill themselves.”

“Hahaha...” Lee Hyeon-Su chuckled quietly to brush aside Seok Dong-Su’s attempt at humor.

Being too humble could be construed as being rude instead. In some delicate situations, like this one, it was better to refrain from saying anything.

“An organization of such scale leaving the shadows means it’s willing to contribute to the country’s coffers, no? I should be rushing out bare feet to welcome the chance to secure that much annual tax,” said Seok Dong-Su.

“Hahaha. Thank you for saying that.”

“But... Here’s the thing.”

“...Sir?”

Seok Dong-Su smiled weirdly. “Nothing is that simple, wouldn’t you agree? All the business ventures you’ve listed are... Well, let’s call it what it is. The sources of your finances are rather shady.”

“I agree that our business does have some aspects of unsavoryness. And that is why we've requested this meeting with you, Minister Seok.” Lee Hyeon-Su bowed his head a little. “We wish to stop living in the shadows and emerge into the open. As people who have never led a fair, honorable life, we wish to change that. Even if it's belated.”

“With your feet on both sides?”

“...Sir? May I ask for a clarification?”

Seok Dong-Su smirked. “Your organization, the Korean Martial Assembly? The more I learn about it, the more amusing you people seem to be. Your activities stink so much I can hardly breathe.”

Lee Hyeon-Su wordlessly smiled back.

Seok Dong-Su grunted before emptying his booze cup. “Well, it doesn't really matter. Let's just call you... the necessary evil of our current era. I heard that this whole martial world malarkey isn't just South Korea's problem, after all. Even then, I still find something about you people rather amusing.”

“May I ask what that is, Minister Seok?”

“It’s you brazenly trying to insult a man to his face,” Seok Dong-Su scowled deeply. “To my ears, it sounds like you wish to keep doing all the illegal crap while laundering the money you’ve acquired to use it in the open...”

“Sir, there seems to be a small misunderstanding here...”

“The thing is, though? I've seen rubbish like this many times already. I meant the gangsters trying to launder their money and stuff. Punks who commit all sorts of vile crap in the shadows but have the cheek to say they are legit presidents and owners after setting up shell companies... This is exactly that situation, now isn’t it?”

Lee Hyeon-Su didn’t reply right away. He didn’t mind some level of animosity. However, his current uncertainty was the result of Seok Dong-Su sounding progressively more riled up.

“And you're telling me to condone that crap?!” Seok Dong-Su grunted, his whole demeanor reflecting how displeased he was.

Lee Hyeon-Su narrowed his eyes.

‘This... might be troublesome.’

Dealing with a career politician who got worn down to become nothing more than a bundle of cynicism and cunning could actually be more straightforward. After all, they no longer cared about achieving something notable during his tenure. No, they were more focused on extracting the maximum benefits from whatever they got entangled in.

Although they might demand more than initially bargained for, the end result still stuck close to the script.

The ones capable of rewriting the outcome were the idealists. They willingly gave up on benefits to stay true to their beliefs.

‘To think a government minister would say something this naive...?'

This was somewhat different from Lee Hyeon-Su’s calculations. No, it’d be safer to say his calculations did not include this kind of situation!

‘But, why?’

Lee Hyeon-Su suddenly realized something didn’t seem right here.

‘A government minister-level politician still has his beliefs and ideals? Really?’

That sounded like something to be applauded about, but Lee Hyeon-Su was 100% certain that this situation was not as heartwarming as that.

The gears in his head began spinning rapidly.