Auto Hunting

Episode 145

“Hmm.”

At Chae Shin-young’s rather blank reaction, Yoo-seong tilted his head.

“I didn’t expect that reaction. It makes me think you don’t understand the meaning of those words in English?”

“I… I don’t, okay? It can’t be anything important. Do you mean traveling outside Korea?”

“What? So you did understand it.”

Yoo-seong kept on walking down the medical facility’s corridor, only stopping at a drinking-water platform.

Chae Shin-young hurriedly followed him, acting much like a guardian watching a child.

“I thought you wanted to set up an institution? You received ownership of countless Tech from Japan and…”

“Oh, I didn’t expect you to know that. Did the Director tell you about it? But I don’t remember telling him about my plans…”

“No. I guessed it myself.”

“Incredible. With that instinct, you’d do well in the stock market. Yes. Perhaps consider a change of career.”

Yoo-seong poured himself a glass of water as he nodded approvingly. Chae Shin-young struggled to keep her composure as Yoo-seong seemingly enjoyed teasing her.

“Why would you leave Korea, then, if that’s your plan?”

“Didn’t you say it yourself? If the higher-ups want to pin something on me, what can you do to stop them? It’s best if I keep out of their sight.”

The process would be long and difficult. If Yoo-seong stayed in Korea, the Special Defense Agency acting on his behalf might have to go through several negotiations and compromises with those higher-ups. It would only be a matter of time before Yoo-seong encountered a second President Han Kwang-ho or even a third.

“Is there any reason for me to endure that?” Yoo-seong asked her.

In the case of Hankwang, Yoo-seong was fortunate that Han Jae-gyu respected him and was thankful for his help. Otherwise, he might have found himself in a long struggle for ownership of the Habaek while at the same time getting involved in media play. It would be very inefficient for Yoo-seong to spend time on such matters.

“But if you leave now, your plans of building an institution would be…”

“Right now, two things are important to me,” Yoo-seong interrupted her. “To study the system that my organization will follow and how to use the Tech in that system. As long as I have those things, I can build the institution whenever I want.”

There were only two things.

In fact, as they spoke, Yoo-seong already had allies working to achieve those things.

Sung-wook, who had been on his side from the start, and Joo Hwan-jin, the biggest prize he’d taken from President Han Kwang-ho. Therefore, Yoo-seong did not actually have to be present to establish his organization. Until the right time came, the work would be done discreetly.

If there was anything Yoo-seong had to do, it would be to buy his allies more time away from the media or a greedy corporation’s eyes.

“More than that, succeeding in an operation overseas will bring me more recognition than ten operations in Korea. We’re not even talking about the money. When I get to the level where my organization can face theirs in terms of capital, then I’ll start the fight.”

When that time came, Yoo-seong would be even stronger than he was right now.

“Besides, these higher-ups have no influence over operations outside of the country, right?”

Getting outsourced for an overseas operation certainly required state permits, but there was no way for private corporations to stop those contracts.

More importantly, Oh Yoo-seong had the skill and talent to be in popular demand even overseas.

“Even if they tried, it would be resolved easily. I’d go to the press as soon as possible and rant about how an overseas contract I had was blocked. That would be enough.”

The public loved Oh Yoo-seong. There would surely be outrage when they heard that their national hero was being stopped from promoting Korea overseas through his talents.

The public’s sentiment was something that even large corporations had to fear. Even the Japanese Prime Minister had suffered when he went against it.

“Have I explained it clearly now?” Yoo-seong raised his eyebrows at Chae Shin-young.

He was met only with silence.

“Where is the parking lot? I want you to drive me to a place. If Director Yang had told me he was providing a driver…”

“This way,” Chae Shin-young cut him off and abruptly pointed to an elevator.

Yoo-seong was right. What the Director had asked her was to try to help him as much as she could.

‘-You don’t have to worry about your job or authority at all. You will be my substitute. Stay by his side.’

‘But why?’ Chae Shin-young had been confused.

Director Yang Chang-guk was someone she had held in respect and admiration for a long, long time. He was the reason she was satisfied to be working as a sheriff under him rather than working actively as a hunter.

However, this time… she had been sent, not for a sensitive surveillance mission, but to take the post of Yoo-seong’s assistant.

Yang Chang-guk was showing extreme trust in this man.

‘I don’t understand why.’

Two years ago.

When she had been told that a civilian had captured a two-star beast with his bare hands, she was sent to investigate it. At that time, Oh Yoo-seong had looked like an ordinary, innocent man.

She hadn’t really been convinced at first, but it seemed like it was the truth. He really had been a beginner who didn’t know how to hunt. That was what she had filed in her report.

It would become an embarrassment to her in the months that followed.

A hunter named Oh Yoo-seong began to rise in prominence, setting unprecedented records everywhere.

‘You made a fool out of me two years ago.’

Due to the nature of her job as a sheriff, she was able to see the dark side of hunters. Even if some of them were popular stars that the public loved, she knew that some of them harbored evil thoughts and manners.

Chae Shin-young had been confident in her judgment of Oh Yoo-seong. That was the reason she felt betrayed every time she looked at him now.

‘There’s a monster hiding underneath that skin.’

While everyone else’s eyes glistened with admiration over Oh Yoo-seong, she had been watching his progress guardedly. She had even posted a cautionary report to Yang Chang-guk when Yoo-seong signed a contract with Tenz. However, now, this was the situation: the Director, whom she idolized, was spending all of his time at Yoo-seong’s side.

Not content with that, he’d even sent her to be the hunter’s companion as his substitute.

‘-For the Special Defense Agency, he is our most important resource, more than even Lee Jae-hak.’

No hunter ever…

No, no person who had ever worked with Yang Chang-guk had received this much support. Perhaps even including Chae Shin-young herself.

Chae Shin-young started the car and re-arranged her rearview mirror. She saw Yoo-seong sitting comfortably in the passenger seat. She couldn’t help but feel annoyed at how he was acting like she really was his chauffeur.

“So…” she began.

“Yes?”

“What’s the first stop on your world tour?”

For Yoo-seong to be contacted by an overseas state, he had first to make his contact information available. Currently, Oh Yoo-seong was a freelancer whose information was private. Of course, he must have established some networks in China and Japan, but…

‘No, it can’t be China,’ she deduced.

There was quite a complex situation between Korea and China at the moment, after Yoo-seong’s incident with the Ship Zone members.

‘Japan, then?’

‘But there’s no situation at the moment that would require the Prime Minister to reach out to him.’

“You must have some backdoor connections with other countries? Connections which even our Director doesn’t know, right?” she prompted him.

‘If that’s correct, then you truly are an ungrateful human being, working behind the Director’s back.’

“It must be a pretty suspicious connection, right?” she continued. “For you to hide it…”

Just then…

Yoo-seong leaned forward.

‘Have I gone too far?’

Chae Shin-young found herself holding her breath at Yoo-seong’s sudden movement.

“What are you doing?” She tried to hide the alarm in her voice.

Halfway between the driver’s seat and the passenger’s, Yoo-seong stopped moving. “Well, no one has contacted me yet,” he said, “but the time is right for one to reach out. I think it will be better if I see them in advance.”

He held out his phone to her, showing her the screen. On it was a navigation app, and a pin marked their destination.

Beep-!

Chae Shin-young was confused when she saw the destination.

‘They haven’t called you yet, but you think they are going to?’

“It’s not a suspicious connection. If you consider this one suspicious, then everything must seem suspicious to you,” Yoo-seong continued.

Chae Shin-young had no choice but to agree with Yoo-seong’s words. The destination marked on the navigation app wasn’t suspicious at all.

-US Embassy in Korea>- ***

“What? He came in person? Now? Here?”

He had never received an incorrect report before, but Jeff McGonner, the current US Ambassador to Korea, couldn’t help but check what he’d just heard.

They weren’t supposed to contact him for two days yet!

After completing several reviews, McGonner had planned to call him directly. He’d obtained Yoo-seong’s direct line through a confidential exchange.

‘How did it happen? Is it merely a coincidence? No, the timing is too weird.’

They had kept watch over Yoo-seong for a few days now. If he remembered correctly, it was just two days since Yoo-seong captured the great Habaek.

‘Then… did he come here right after he was released from the hospital?’

The Ambassador fixed his tie and cleared up his thoughts. After checking himself in the mirror one last time, he walked out of his office and prepared to meet their guest.

‘He must have come here for a purpose. It means that he needs something from us.’

McGonner wanted to smile.

‘That’s good. I can use it to make the deal more advantageous for us.’

It had originally been their side that wanted to ask something of Yoo-seong, but now, they had the initiative.

McGonner fixed his expression to look as if Yoo-seong’s arrival was a disturbance.

Then…

Kuwook-!

He pushed the door open.

Yoo-seong was waiting for him outside. After exchanging simple greetings, McGonner immediately got to the point.

“What is your reason for visiting us today? Please don’t hesitate to state your request.”

Yoo-seong replied with a smile. “I’m not here to request anything. I’m here to listen to what you have to say.”

McGonner was startled.

“What are you…?”

“I know everything. First of all, where did you get my contact information?”

McGonner’s mouth dropped open, and no sound came out of it.

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