Translator: Wan ED/PR: Solarin
43. Things which don’t change (3)
As I looked into the Newspaper Club’s group chatroom, the Newspaper Club and 2nd year class 0 wrote about their turbulent Eurasia trip.
They, who headed to Europe, stopping over in China and Russia, faced a variety of numerous accidents.
The chatroom was full of pictures and article drafts sent with excitement by Mun Saeron and the Newspaper Club’s president.
‘You mean it’s all for real? What the hell happened while I was returning home?’
On-the-spot spar with the teenage Chinese Players, who they meet by chance.
Witnessing the migration of rare animals and turtles, which were known to have been extinct.
On the Trans-Siberian Express, a suspicious incident of all the crew disappearing and encountering an unidentifiable Jin.
Exploring a golden city, where the king’s treasure was said to be buried in.
Illusion[1] of Enemies filling the basement of that city.
Chasing one of the world’s top 10 wanted criminals, who appeared in the fog that swallowed the ground, sky and sea.
I thought that just one of those incidents could be turned into a legendary story, but I was amazed by the Newspaper Club and 2nd year class 0’s members who went through all of them in just a few days.
‘Jegal Jaegeol’s homecoming will be delayed a lot, huh?’
I don’t know if I should worry if they can come back safely or rather the time they are returning.
As the Head of Eungwang School Affairs, Jegal Jaegeol would be worried about Mok Uram, but it seemed better if he just left this case to teacher Ham Geunhyeong-nim.
After leaving the words asking the Newspaper Club’s members to make trip records even in the future, I checked the next message.
The next message was sent by a certain unfortunate Jegal Jaegeol’s fanatic, who missed the trip.
[Hong Gyubin] (link)
Hong Gyubin sent an article link.
It was an article disclosing all kinds of corruption acts committed at Gwangli Police Station.
The trigger for those incidents to surface was the Alley’s King Dokgo Miro’s raid on the police station.
After Dokgo Miro left the Gwangli Police Station, the sole junior police officer, who avoided her rage, called an ambulance and the ambulance teamwho arrived at Gwangli Police Station requested support from Seoul Eungwang Police Station.
In the process, the Seoul Eungwang Police Station was said to have failed to methodically cover the Gwangli Police Station’s Raid incident.
It was because of the Player’s Association and Satellite Management Team’s interference.
‘It’s strange that the Satellite Management Team interfered straight away before Hong Gyubin could use his hand.’
Even though the captain of the Gwangli Police Station, who was the center of all of it, was a Player, and so the Player’s Association had a pretext to interfere, it was somewhat strange.
As I recalled the chain of events, I came up with the answer.
‘Min Geurin was there. If something happened to Min Geurin, there is no way that Song Daeseok would stay still… If so, the Satellite Management Team couldn’t do anything but move, right?’
The Player’s Association’s Satellite Management team was said to be suspicious of the recording devices didn’t record the incident when the police cars and police station building were destroyed.
The Satellite Management’s elites, who had knowledge about the video of real-time recording devices at Gwangli Police Station, restored all three years worthy of satellite record materials related to the vicinity of the Gwangli Police Station and recordings of the Gwangli Police Station.
As a result of it, the traces of all kinds of evil tricks committed at Gwangli Police Station after the recording devices were turned off, were revealed to the public.
Among the things they committed were corrupting personnel, false reports, accepting bribes, grafting, allaying with the service company, etc…
The Association’s side revealed the restored materials to the press first, before the police side started their large-scale cover-up.
Only the extremely recent records were excluded.
‘They said that regretfully, the only scene they weren’t able to restore was the raid scene, but… They weren’t going to restore it in the first place.’
And that massive published history of corruption was organized into an amazing table with frightening readability.
That table was made by Eungwang School’s very own Art Club.
They put their remarkable brains and artistic talents together without holding back and in a short period of time made a table that was close to a piece of art.
The Eungwang School’s Art Club spread the organized materials on Eungwang School’s homepage and various community boards even before the main press outlets.
It showed such a high level of accomplishment that it was difficult to think it was made by the students, as the high-quality face photos and mind-maps were attached to the table as needed, and even the press was reporting by citing this table.
It wasn’t only the current students of the Art Club of Eungwang School who moved.
Even graduates commented on this matter.
Among related articles, I saw several names of Eungwang School’s famous graduates.
‘There are even interviews with Seong Gukeon and Kwon Jane. Even if Seong Gukeon did it because his constituency is in Eungwang District, I didn’t expect Kwon Jane to comment on such an incident.’
The Eungwang School’s graduates, who expressed regret that such an unsavory incident happened in Eungwang District where their alma mater was at, requested for the involved party be punished.
It seemed that the Gwangli Police Station endured until now relying on the strong connections and old evil practices, but as a much greater power was moving methodically, they had no way to respond.
At the very bottom of the file attached by Hong Gyubin was a picture of the police commissioner in full uniform bowing his head.
Naturally, because of this case the Gwangli Police Station and even the Seoul Eungwang Police Station which tried to cover up the incident underwent a thorough inspection, and it seemed that over two digits of people would be fired.
In contrast to it, the service company and the resident representative council which was putting pressure on the children’s home, were only mentioned vaguely as if the Ho tribe decided to deal with their punishment personally.
Besides that, there was a name of a person and a group that wasn’t seen.
‘The story about Han Yi and the children’s home was left out. It should’ve been buried by the Association and Ho tribe. But… I don’t see any story about the Namkung Group.’
I browsed through additional articles, but I couldn’t find the word ‘Namkung Group’.
Even though the Gwangli Police Station drew all the biggest aggro, the service company and the resident representative council were occasionally mentioned, but then why I didn’t see Namkung Group at all?
Hong Gyubin, who noticed that I harbored such doubts, replied:
[Hong Gyubin] It seems that Namkung Group already cut off their hands and feet[2].
[Hong Gyubin] It was revealed that the Gwangli Police Station’s captain was secretly meeting with the person he called ‘director Choe’, the head of the Planning Office under Namkung chairman.
If it was the head of the Planning Office, it wouldn’t be an ordinary position.
As the Planning Office, which managed the personnel under the Namkung Group’s chairman, was actually the general term for the group’s affiliates. The head of this office parallel to the position of a vice-chairman.
The police station captain might have an inspector rank, but it was too high ranking to personally meet with an inspector.
[Hong Gyubin] However as a result of the investigation, the person he thought was the director Choe wasn’t Namkung Group’s affiliate but rather was an executive of the subsidiary company.
[Hong Gyubin] It isn’t even that the incident exploded, and they cut off their hands and feet. Namkung Group cut off their hands and feet from the beginning and moved after.
[Hong Gyubin] On paper, the Namkung Group ended up as a victim in this case instead. Because there are numerous cases where the members of big companies are impersonated…
I couldn’t figure out the detailed inside situation, but if Hong Gyubin was saying that much, it seemed that it would be difficult to dig deeper.
‘Namkung Group is moving quite carefully, huh?’
During the Four Greats Secret Fight scenario, the Planning Office of the Namkung Group moved quite meticulously.
Considering their meticulous actions, it seemed difficult to shake them with an incident of this degree.
[Hong Gyubin] I plan to investigate this case more and move.
[Hong Gyubin] Be careful. When looking into Namkung Group, make sure to move with… with that class friend you were with that day.
By that class friend, do you mean Hwang Jiho?
Each time I was involved in an incident, Hong Gyubin was worried about my safety, but it was the first time he named a person and told me to move with him.
I thanked Hong Gyubin, who was having a hard time and then checked the next message.
The next message came from this world’s title hero, Ju Su-hyeok.
[Ju Su-hyeok] Uisin-ah.
[Ju Su-hyeok] Do you remember how I promised to invite you to the Ju-Oh Island before?
[Ju Su-hyeok] If you have time, it seems I can rent it.
Naturally I remembered.
During the Cymopoleia boat party incident, before parting, Ju Su-hyeok and Tao Sihu said this:
— Let’s visit Ju-Oh Island for sure next time. I’ll invite you.
— Let’s go all together during the summer break! With something extra for this member!
Ju Su-hyeok received a lot of attention for taking the place of the highest otherworld conquest contributor with An Dain during the Youth Training Camp incident.
So I thought it would be difficult to visit Ju-Oh Island with Ju Su-hyeok’s situation during this summer vacation.
But it seemed worthy of the title hero he was, thinking about keeping his promise to his friend even while he was busy.
I concisely informed Ju Su-hyeok about my future schedule.
[Ju Su-hyeok] Thank you for the confirmation! I’ll confirm the other kids’ schedules and contact you again.
[Ju Su-hyeok] Hyodon is training with Yunseop and grandpa Tak, right? If I keep being unable to contact him, I thought about going to pick him up.
[Ju Su-hyeok] I heard from my twin swords instructor-nim that there were many times when grandpa Tak forgets about time when he starts the training…
Even Ju Su-hyeok and his twin swords instructor didn’t go easy on the hours poured into training, so how extreme was Tak Geosan for him to be like this?
If we keep being unable to contact them, I’ll have to go searching to rescue Maeng Hyodon and protect my bread shuttle as a bonus.
[Me] Let’s go together when you go look for Maeng Hyodon.
Then I added one more suggestion.
As it seemed that Ju Su-hyeok planned to rent the whole island and resort, it was too much for the four people he promised that day to play.
Now then, wouldn’t it be more enjoyable if we called more people to play?
[Me] I want to make a suggestion if you’re going to rent the Ju-Oh Island for a day…
Ju Su-hyeok gladly accepted my suggestion.
I recalled the invitation list that would make Ju Su-hyeok happy, and closed my eyes.
Just before my consciousness was cut off, I stroked Snare, because I felt it wriggle and burrow into my arms, to soothe it down, and then fell asleep.
* * *
Next day.
The after-effects of communication with the Transcendent Universe cleanly disappeared.
By just looking around Hwang Myeong Mansion, I could tell it was thanks to having Snare by my side, rather than eating and drinking healthy food and tea or something.
‘Even though I’m completely cured, everything for breakfast was a liquid food.’
The jatjuk[3] with astragalus and lilyturf which was served as breakfast tasted amazing, but I was bothered because it seemed that everyone was eating porridge because of me.
After finishing breakfast, I asked Hwang Jiho.
“I want to meet with Mok Uram. How is he?”
“Mok Uram will be discharged from the hospital today. As he had no place to stay, Ham Geun-hyeong and Kim Sinrok planned to call him to prepare for him to enter the dormitory. If he wants, they’re thinking of giving him a part-time job at school.”
Mok Uram had zero funds in addition to no device, right?
It seemed that the ID problem was solved by Hong Gyubin, but there were a lot of things besides that Mok Uram had to deal with.
“Opportunely, I accepted the class children’s request, as they wanted to see Kim Yuri. Let’s keep that promise today and go visit them together.”
It seemed, that just as before, it was difficult to meet Kim Yuri without Hwang Jiho’s barrier.
Before noon, the children who replied gathered in front of the back door to the Hwang Myeong Eungwang Hospital.
The 1st year class 0’s students who gathered today were five: me, Hwang Jiho, Han Yi, Kwon Lena and Sawol Seeum.
“Hey, let’s go.”
Like the previous time, Hwang Jiho guided the children through the special hospital ward.
Even when facing Han Yi, he was no different from usual.
It seemed that for the last few days while I lay collapsed, he resolutely made up his mind and prepared.
In the elevator, while chatting, Kwon Lena, who was holding a pack of ice cake bought at MITRON, suggested:
“Ah, hey… When we finish visiting Yuri, why don’t we go meet with Geurin?”
From what I heard, it seemed that Min Geurin didn’t come out of her room after the incident with Han Yi.
Han Yi said that she got messages from her saying she was sorry a few times.
“Let’s go. I want to personally meet and talk with Geurin to tell her it’s not her fault.”
After Han Yi said that, the expression of pretended nonchalance that Hwang Jiho had crumbled, and he stared at Han Yi with a bit of a surprised face.
Perhaps Cheong-ho said something similar in the past.
Supposing Choeng-ho said something like that, the target probably would be Jeok-ho, who committed a great sin.
“I’ll go too! Uisin, You will also go, correct?”
“Okay.”
After we left the elevator.
When we walked down the special ward’s corridor while making plans to visit Min Geurin’s house.
I felt an intense gaze from the other side of the corridor.
“…!”
The identity of that gaze was Mok Uram.
Mok Uram opened his mouth wide and stared at Kwon Lena.
“…?”
Kwon Lena opened her round eyes wide and blinked quickly.
If a stranger in a hospital gown stared at you like that, you wouldn’t be able to help but be nervous.
‘I should block him if he suddenly approaches, right?’
As a person who knew how much Mok Uram was obsessed with his muse, I couldn’t stay idle.
When I was worrying if I should use a skill if needed.
Thud.
Mok Uram, who made eye contact with Kwon Lena for about 3 seconds, collapsed on the spot.
“Uh?”
“He-hey…!”
The flustered children approached Mok Uram.
Mok Uram closed his eyes with an expression saying he had no regrets in life.
I heard Hwang Jiho, who called a nurse, mumble:
“… It’ll be difficult for him to be discharged today, eh?”
*~*~*
[1] Illusion — or welcome?
[2] cut off their hands and feet — ‘cut off the ties’ in other words.
[3] jatjuk — a porridge made by boiling a grounded mixture of pine nuts and rice soaked in water. Astragalus is called ‘Hwang-gi (황기)’ in Korean and lilyturf, Liriope platyphylla, is called ‘Maek-mun-dong (맥문동)’ in Korean. Lilyturf is used in herbal medicine for lung diseases.
Translator’s note: … Why do I feel like someone prepared a super-fun trip for Jo Uisin, and then Jo Uisin peace out?
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