Chapter 1473: Finalizing (3) |
“I’ve come across a lot of crazy reports after getting elected, but this…”
Reynold Spencer lowered his head a little after noticing the look on the face of the person sitting before him.
“I still can’t believe what I’m reading here, Spencer.”
“We already expected an outcome like this one, sir.”
“We did…? We really expected this? Are you sure about that?”
“…”
Spencer couldn’t bring himself to answer. But he didn’t have to; the person sitting before him answered it himself.
“No, of course not. If that’s true, we would have been a lot more hands-on with our approach. We would’ve judged the current budget completely inadequate, and we wouldn’t have persisted with the current training regime for the SOB. Am I wrong?”
“My apologies, sir.”
Spencer furrowed his brow. “Although it’s a little embarrassing to say this, I don’t think that’s the case, sir. The Martial Assembly’s overall combat strength more or less matches our analysis. Where we came up short was with Jin-Ho Kang, the Assembly Master.”
“Just him, you say…?”
“He’s an outlier, sir. It’s impossible to analyze him using the same yardstick. If other martial artists are mice, Jin-Ho Kang is a lion. It’s as if he’s not even from the same species as the rest.”
“Hmm…” the man behind the aged oak desk groaned softly. “The Four Kings, is it? The Four Kings…”
What an outdated concept that was. Kings, in this day and age? They weren’t some symbolic monarchy like the one found in the UK or Japan, either. These people possessed both real power and authority fit for a king. But the idea of acknowledging their authority in the 21st century was just…
“It’s… Hmm. We don’t have a choice but to acknowledge them, now do we?”
The man behind the desk sighed deeply.
“Spencer?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Proceed with the deal. Give them what they want.”
“Will that be fine, sir? Their demands are undoubtedly excessive, after all. But I believe there is still some room for negotiations.”
“Sure, but that ain’t gonna change the outcome all that much. Those folks already have the initiative, anyway, and can demand from us whatever they feel like. We’ve cornered ourselves in this hole by failing to analyze that man’s strength accurately.”
“…”
“So, the ones whining will have to be our side this time. You will get the backing you need, so make this deal happen.”
“Sir, what about the opposition…?”
“Not sure if they will be shameless enough to do that. But if someone does try to oppose you, just drag that idiot over to the hospital looking after our injured soldiers from the 15th armored division. I’m sure those fine fellas will quickly change that idiot’s mind.”
“Understood, sir. I’ll make sure there aren’t any mishaps.”
“However, don’t forget this, Spencer,” said the man behind the desk, his eyes gleaming coldly. “I’m only okaying this deal because it’s an investment, okay? An investment. An investment with a lot of money and resources involved. So we better get our money’s worth from this deal. Do you understand what I’m trying to say?”
“Yes, sir. I do.”
Spencer firmly nodded in the affirmative.
The American government didn’t mind investing heavily into Kang Jin-Ho and his gang… as long as the outcome of that investment was this one thing: America possessing an expert or experts powerful enough to rival—or even surpass—the Four Kings.
Reynold Spencer’s job was to make that happen as quickly as possible.
“Right. I’m granting you full authority to oversee this matter. If you need anything else, something even bigger in scale than this, you now have the power to get it done without getting permission first.”
“Thank you, sir! I’ll definitely complete this mission!”
Spencer smartly bowed, then exited the office. The man behind the desk watched the office door close, then reached out to the cigar box resting on the corner of his desk.
After taking a cigar out, he snipped its front, and slowly but methodically lit it up with a match. After making sure the fire was burning evenly, the man began savoring the cigar’s aroma.
So, the Four Kings…
Their existence was undoubtedly a threat to this country. For now, America would be cooperating with one of them, but…
Things will change eventually.
The man tried to estimate when that would be, before chuckling helplessly.
What was the point of racking his brain like this? His term in the office would have ended by then, anyway. So, he should instead focus on giving his successors more options to choose from when that happened.
“I guess I’ll leave it up to you, whoever you are in the future.”
***
The first thing Spencer did after stepping inside the hotel lobby was to swallow his saliva nervously. That was because he knew how important this negotiation would be.
I don’t have a reason to get this nervous, though.
Thanks to Lee Hyeon-Su, pretty much every major demand had been set in stone now. All that was left now was to sign on the dotted lines, and this deal would be complete.
Spencer couldn’t tell if that was a good or bad thing. But there was no denying how much simpler the negotiation had become thanks to Lee Hyeon-Su!
No! Of course it’s not a good thing!
What a daylight robbery this was! Spencer often heard that Asians could get very meticulous about matters of profits and losses. But Lee Hyeon-Su went past the level of meticulousness and straight into the realm of paranoia!
Because that guy argued about the wording of even the most trivial clauses, the contract was now over three hundred pages long!
Good thing the two sides had already exchanged emails to examine the contract ahead of time! Otherwise, they might have wasted an entire day examining the contract.
“Fuu-woo…!”
He let out a deep sigh, then headed to the elevators. The bodyguards on standby swiftly surrounded him and began accompanying him.
Spencer furrowed his brow. “What are you doing?”
“Sir? We’re your protection detail…”
“Even though I specifically told your boss not to do anything that might be seen as a provocation by the other side?”
“My apologies.”
“Your mission is to guard the targets, not escort me to the meetings. Tell your boss what happened here and let him know that I’ll be expecting an explanation from him. In writing!”
“Understood… sir.”
Spencer stabbed the elevator button as irritation clouded his expression. He usually would have brushed aside such a mishap with a chuckle, but not this time. He simply didn’t have the mental leeway for it right now.
Then again, who could blame him? He was about to sign a deal that could determine the fate of his country, after all. And he was by himself, no less! The pressure alone was giving him a nasty heartburn and a hint of ominous-feeling tightness near the back of his neck.
No wonder he was on edge right now.
Spencer silently stepped inside the elevator when it arrived. Once the door closed and the elevator began moving, he leaned against a wall and sighed wearily.
I’m… tired.
Now that he looked back, he hadn’t had a day of rest since Kang Jin-Ho’s arrival. His sleeping hours had to be reduced, and to make matters worse, a light bout of insomnia meant he couldn’t even sleep properly during those all-too-brief hours of respite.
Once this is over, I will…
Of course, he still had the “aftermath” to take care of, which should be no walk in the park, either. However, at least he’d have overcome the big hurdle by then. That should give him some peace of mind.
Tting~!
The elevator chimed, and the door slid open. Spencer sucked in a deep breath before emerging into the corridor. He walked down the immaculate corridor of the hotel and reached the entrance to Kang Jin-Ho’s suite.
He stood before the door and sucked in an even deeper breath before knocking cautiously on it.
Knock, knock…
A voice replied almost immediately.
“Come in!”
Spencer cautiously opened the door. He saw Kang Jin-Ho, Lee Hyeon-Su, and Wiggins sitting on couches, waiting for his arrival.
The first thing Spencer did after stepping inside was bow respectfully toward Kang Jin-Ho. “It’s good to see you again, Assembly Master.”
“Yeah. Take a seat.”
Spencer did his best to suppress his pounding heart and sat on an empty spot opposite Kang Jin-Ho’s position.
Kang Jin-Ho took out a pack of cigarettes. “You smoke?”
“No, sir. I don’t.”
“Good choice. It’s bad for your health, after all.”
While saying that, Kang Jin-Ho mouthed a cigarette, prompting Lee Hyeon-Su to pull out a lighter from his pocket and light the cigarette up for his boss.
Wiggins furrowed his brow. “My lord, it’s about time you quit this nasty habit.”
Kang Jin-Ho cocked an eyebrow. “Why? It’s not like my health is being affected, anyway.”
“But its stench is ungodly, wouldn’t you say? It’s uncouth to inconvenience other people, after all.”
That was when Lee Hyeon-Su’s eyes trembled in shock. “Heol? Sir. I didn’t know you viewed us as strangers.”[1]
“No, that’s not what I meant…”
Wiggins groaned deeply.
Kang Jin-Ho would always mouth a cigarette regardless of the situation he was in, whether that be a negotiation or a fight. Which was not a good habit to have.
If someone else other than Kang Jin-Ho lit up a cigarette in a meeting like this, it would’ve been a ploy to pressure the other side by displaying one’s supposed superiority.
But that wasn’t the case with Kang Jin-Ho. No, he was simply smoking because he craved the nicotine hit!
Which is ironic, since the nicotine doesn’t even affect him, anyway.
This was why some habits could be so scary.
“My lord, there’s also the matter of respecting the other party.”
Just as Wiggins said that, Spencer hurriedly chimed in. “Oh, no. Don’t mind me. I’m fine.”
“…”
Wiggins stared in dismay at Spencer, prompting the latter to shrug helplessly.
“If you don’t mind me saying this… Mister Wiggins? I’m more puzzled by what you’ve said. Isn’t that an Eastern way of looking at things?”
Wiggins clamped his mouth.
“I think staying in Korea for too long has turned you into a Korean, Mister Wiggins.”
Spencer said that in jest, but Wiggins’ brain didn’t interpret that way. To him, didn’t that sound like…
Lee Hyeon-Su butted in. “He thinks you’ve turned into a Korean boomer, master.”
“…! You didn’t have to blurt that out loud, you fool! You and your bloody mouth!”
“What the?! Why are you getting angry at me for? He’s the one who said it, you know? This is exactly what a boomer would do!”
“Keep saying boomer this and boomer that, and I’ll show you what a boomer can do! Is that what you want?!”
Kang Jin-Ho groaned deeply. “What was that about respecting the other party and stuff, again…?”
Wiggins clamped his mouth shut again. What a shameful showing this was!
Lee Hyeon-Su had this bizarre talent at rubbing people the wrong way. Even if he said something “normal,” it’d still be ten times more irritating than someone else saying the same thing!
Wiggins turned to Spencer and apologized. “Ku-huh-hum. Forgive me for my unsightly behavior.”
“N-no, it’s fine,” Spencer replied while sneakily wiping away beads of sweat off his forehead.
Do these people ever get nervous?
In a way, the success of this deal could prove even more crucial to the Assembly than to the United States. The terms the Assembly put forward weren’t something a private organization could demand from a government. No, only another government could even think about bringing them up in a negotiation.
So, to think these three men would be so carefree during the signing of the deal! A bitter smirk floated up on Spencer’s face. This must be the so-called air of the strong, then?
What a strange feeling this was. Despite representing the United States government in several negotiations, Spencer had never seen the other side being as relaxed as this trio. Because being relaxed was the privilege only he got to enjoy.
As long as he could say the United States government backed him, he’d always hold the upper hand in any negotiations, and the other party would be forced into watching their conduct around him. But the roles had reversed in this place. And for the first time in his career, too.
Spencer finally realized what the other parties facing him during those negotiations must’ve felt. He even realized why some people kept saying it’d be impossible to understand unless one personally experienced it first.
He cautiously spoke to Lee Hyeon-Su. “Then, should we proceed with the contract signing now?”
Lee Hyeon-Su raised his hand a little. “Please wait for a little while longer.”
“Sorry? Why?”
“Our side is still reviewing the deal, you see?”
Spencer tilted his head. Reviewing the deal? But the contract, with all of its three hundred pages, was resting on the coffee table between them. So who was reviewing it right now?
Lee Hyeon-Su smirked confidently after noticing the confusion in Spencer’s expression.
“Our legal counsel dealing with the Assembly’s business matters is currently reviewing the contract in detail. Even though I’ve read through it, I’m not an expert, you see? Certain legal aspects of the contract can become a problem at a later stage, after all.”
“…!”
“Don’t worry, they should be finished soon.”
“W-wait, Mister Lee! Did you say your legal counsel? As in, lawyers?”
“Of course. We operate a legitimate business back home, so yes, we employ a team of lawyers.”
But… Wasn’t that…?
Spencer cried out in alarm. “Mister Lee! This is supposed to be a top secret negotiation!”
“Yes, I understand that. But what are we supposed to do if we run into law-related issues? What if you say it’s not your problem? We’d be screwed in that case, no?”
“…”
“It’ll be fine. Trust me! Our team of lawyers is made up with only the most trustworthy folks, you see? Besides, the Assembly members are keeping a close eye on them, anyway. And the documents will be destroyed once they finish reviewing them. More crucially, though…
“If they value their lives, our lawyers will never blab their mouths to other people as long as they live. So, don’t worry about a thing.”
What an unrelenting bastard Lee Hyeon-Su was!
Of course, letting one’s lawyers review such a contract was a given. However, a negotiation like this usually forced both parties to skip such steps.
But here was Lee Hyeon-Su, not willing to skip anything! Was it because he was just that meticulous? Or was it simply the case of him being an unrelenting as*hole?
“Tell me something,” said Kang Jin-Ho after observing the exchange for a while. “Did your higher-ups approve this deal?”
Spencer nodded. “Yes, sir. They’ve agreed to accept all of your demands.”
“Good to hear.”
“And also…”
Spencer hesitated slightly while trying to gauge Kang Jin-Ho’s mood.
“Our… boss would like to meet you in person, Assembly Master.”
1. There was a Korean wordplay here, but it got lost in translation. My bad. ☜
