Chapter 1474: Finalizing (4) |
“Meet me?”
“Yes, sir,” said Reynold Spencer.
Kang Jin-Ho subtly cocked his head to the side. “Why?”
“Even if you ask me that…”
Spencer faltered. He obviously didn’t have a good answer to give to Kang Jin-Ho.
“I can’t speak for the person in charge or what he has in mind, sir. Maybe he’s curious about you. Or he has something he’d like to discuss with you in private.”
“Is this a part of the deal?”
“No, sir.”
Kang Jin-Ho dismissively replied, “Then, I’m not interested.”
Kang Jin-Ho reclined against the couch while leisurely puffing away at his cigarette.
“Fuu-woo…”
After puffing away in silence for a while, he glanced at Spencer, his face remaining expressionless.
“It’s not like we’ll have anything to talk about, anyway.”
“…”
“Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I don’t want to meet your boss.”
“Then?”
“If he wants to talk to me, he knows where to find me.”
“…”
Without a doubt, Kang Jin-Ho was implying that he didn’t want to meet Spencer’s boss. Because there was no way in hell Spencer could convey exactly what Kang Jin-Ho had said today, after all!
“I’ll… inform him that it’ll be extremely difficult to arrange the meeting, sir.”
Kang Jin-Ho chuckled softly. It seemed that, whether it was the United States or South Korea, underlings still had to be mindful of their bosses.
Lee Hyeon-Su’s phone suddenly rang, prompting him to pick it up and hurriedly enter one of the bedrooms. A little while later, Lee Hyeon-Su emerged outside.
“That was from our HQ. They say they couldn’t find any legal issues, sir.”
Kang Jin-Ho cocked an eyebrow. “Really now?”
“Yes, sir. The Americans haven’t played tricks on us this time, it seems.”
Spencer’s cheeks twitched a little. Wasn’t it a little rude to say that in front of the person they were about to sign a deal with? Did these martial artists feed their manners to a nearby mutt or something?!
Was it because he had never been treated like this before? Some things began boiling rapidly deep within Spencer’s chest. However, those boiling emotions instantly cooled down when he saw Kang Jin-Ho’s face.
Wait. I shouldn’t be surprised here.
How often would these people have engaged governments for negotiations of such magnitude, anyway? Besides, Spencer had seen worse insults being traded between the representatives of various countries during high-level talks, anyway.
After convincing himself in the blink of an eye, Spencer smiled brightly while cautiously pushing the contract toward Kang Jin-Ho.
“Sir… Would you like to sign it now?”
“Mm…” Kang Jin-Ho grunted while glancing at Lee Hyeon-Su one last time. Lee Hyeon-Su nodded deeply. “Well, sure. I have to say, though, this has been one weird experience, alright.”
Kang Jin-Ho never had to jump through so many hoops to sign a deal before.
First of all, they went and created the original draft of the contract. And the second contract was drafted up next that stated what would happen if the clauses in the first contract were not adhered to. And then, yet another agreement was written up, this time stating that the second contract’s terms and conditions were referring to the first contract!
Kang Jin-Ho had no idea what was what. Such a complicated procedure could solely be blamed on their desire to legally bind a deal that was not protected by the law.
“I’m not sure why we’d need a contract like this,” said Kang Jin-Ho. He sounded a little unhappy just then.
Spencer smiled gently. “Everyone needs some kind of proof for everything they do, after all. Even you would be troubled if our side doesn’t stick to the agreement, wouldn’t you say?”
“Why would I be? Your side will be the one in trouble if you break this deal, anyway.”
“…”
That might have sounded like Kang Jin-Ho was implying that the Americans would stand to lose a lot more than the Koreans if the deal went down the drain. But Spencer knew. He knew that was not what Kang Jin-Ho meant.
No, the Assembly Master was saying that, if the deal broke down, they shouldn’t even worry about court proceedings or whatnot… Because he’d personally come here and demand answers from those involved!
Spencer nervously swallowed his saliva again.
Kang Jin-Ho flatly asked. “So? Who’s in charge of this thing?”
“…”
“I guess it’s not the President of this country. You wouldn’t let someone whose term in the office is only five years, ten if they are lucky, to oversee a project like this, anyway.”
“My apologies, sir. But I’m not at liberty to reveal that information,” said Spencer.
Kang Jin-Ho turned his head and said, “Lee Hyeon-Su?”
Lee Hyeon-Su energetically replied, “Yes, sir!”
“Add one more clause to the contract. I want the personal details, plus photos, of the one in charge of this project.”
“Understood!”
Lee Hyeon-Su immediately got to work. He added the new clause and began printing out the revised page. Spencer’s eyes quaked as he watched all this happen.
Kang Jin-Ho cocked an eyebrow. “Do you find all this strange?”
Spencer cautiously replied, “N-no, sir.”
“There’s nothing wrong with doing it this way. We should hold people responsible, not things, after all. I’m not a fan of receiving compensation in the form of money or other material things, especially if the government is involved. Because, if your side did something wrong and tried to pay that off through your annual budget, doesn't that mean your citizens are being penalized instead? Am I wrong?”
Spencer slowly shook his head. Kang Jin-Ho was technically correct, after all.
“One’s pain is the best way to compensate for their mistakes. That’s what being responsible for something means,” said Kang Jin-Ho.
Lee Hyeon-Su arrived with a freshly printed page and slipped it in among the contract, prompting Kang Jin-Ho to nod slightly.
“So? Do you have an issue with the new clause?”
“…No, sir. We’ll accept it.”
No matter what other conditions were added on top, Spencer couldn’t afford to walk away now.
Kang Jin-Ho pointed at the contract. “Go and inform your boss. This is nothing more than bits of paper. Things like contracts and the law are nothing more than illusions and empty threats. This is a trade. A promise between two parties. If this promise is broken for some reason, I will demand answers from your side.”
…With that, the personal details of the person Kang Jin-Ho would demand answers from became the latest addition to the contract.
That’s going to ensure that this deal will never get broken, thought Spencer.
Every living person valued their life, after all!
Wealth might be important, sure, but could its importance surpass one’s life? Of course not. This was especially true for those folks who had already amassed enough wealth and power.
“Alright. Let’s sign this deal.”
“Yes, sir.”
Spencer signed his name on the dotted line first. Then, Kang Jin-Ho left his simple signature on the contract next. With the… signing ceremony completed, Lee Hyeon-Su stepped up to deal with the rest. Three copies were signed in the end; each side kept one copy, while the third copy would be stored elsewhere.
Spencer bowed deeply at Kang Jin-Ho. “Thank you for your cooperation, sir.”
“Mm.”
“Then… Do you mind if I speak to you about a different matter?”
Kang Jin-Ho cocked an eyebrow. “But the contract’s been signed already?”
Spencer tried to smile brightly. “I had a few things I’d like to request you for, but bringing them up before the signing could have given you the impression that our side was trying to tilt the deal in our favor. Because this is a request more than anything else, sir.”
Kang Jin-Ho nodded, then narrowed his eyes at Spencer. “Fine. What is it?”
Spencer hesitated a little. “The… reason for agreeing to all of your demands is because we would like you to do something for us. And that is to train the members of the SOB who will be stationed in South Korea.”
“Mm? But haven’t I already told you that will happen?”
“Yes, you have. But what we’re requesting you is to give them your full, undivided attention.”
Kang Jin-Ho was about to reply disinterestedly, only for his eyes to widen slightly. “My full, undivided attention, you say?”
“Yes, sir. You don’t have to stick to the training regime we’ve been using until now. In fact, please use the methods you think are for the best. We also don’t mind even if the new training program leads to some casualties.”
“Casualties, you say…?” Kang Jin-Ho’s widened eyes narrowed to slits instead. “You’re too cavalier with other people’s lives, wouldn’t you say? Besides, you don’t have the right to decide that.”
“Indeed, you are right. I didn’t decide this. The special operations members heading to Korea all agreed to this clause in return for the government’s full support, after all.”
“…”
That changed the story somewhat, didn’t it?
“Assembly Master, those members are not only martial artists but also the proud soldiers of the United States army. Since they are prepared to risk their lives to become stronger, I believe they fit your criteria of what makes a martial artist.”
“Hmm…?” Kang Jin-Ho slowly nodded. For sure, such a mindset did match his beliefs, didn’t it? “I must warn you, though. It’ll get very difficult for them.”
“You don’t have to worry about any drop-outs, sir. We’ll keep supplying fresh members.”
Kang Jin-Ho scratched his chin. His full attention, was it? Did Spencer know what receiving Kang Jin-Ho’s full attention even meant?
“You might regret this later.”
“No, sir. I’m sure we won’t.”
“Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“…?”
At this point, even Spencer grew a little concerned. “T-then, uhm, maybe a training program that might produce fewer casualties…?”
Kang Jin-Ho chuckled wryly. “Sure. I’ll think about it.”
“Thank you.”
Spencer bowed deeply again.
Adding new terms and conditions to the contract wouldn’t have been a bad idea, but that wouldn’t have made Kang Jin-Ho care more about a request.
This man was not motivated by a few words printed on some bits of paper. No, the best way to motivate Kang Jin-Ho was to bow deeply and make an earnest request.
A grin of relief and happiness floated up on Spencer’s lips after Kang Jin-Ho gave a positive-sounding reply.
On the other hand, though, Lee Hyeon-Su and Wiggins were freaking out somewhat.
“Mister Spencer, I think you should reconsider that request.”
“Indeed. Listen to me, Spencer. You don’t seem to understand what you’re asking for here.”
Spencer tilted his head in confusion while alternating his gaze between Lee Hyeon-Su and Wiggins. “What do you mean? Can you explain?”
Lee Hyeon-Su was about to say something, only to groan deeply. Would verbally explaining it be enough to convince Spencer? No, that didn’t seem likely.
Lee Hyeon-Su had a lot he could say right now, but none of them would be impactful enough to change Spencer’s mind. Because ordinary people wouldn’t be able to comprehend or even imagine what Kang Jin-Ho’s training methods were like.
If the Demon Flames had heard what Spencer said here, they would’ve started rolling on the floor, laughing their heads off. How could they not laugh at this military officer who was unknowingly throwing his unwary subordinates inside the mouth of hell?
Of course, that didn’t mean Kang Jin-Ho would pay as much attention to the American soldiers as he had with the Demon Flames, but still!
“Well, you… will find out soon enough,” said Lee Hyeon-Su. He was nice enough to leave a single ray of hope behind, though. “It’s not like saying all these things now will prevent you from changing your mind at a later date, anyway. If you think things are getting too dangerous, tell us right away instead of letting your pride get in the way.”
Wiggins enthusiastically chimed in. “Yes, Mister Lee is correct, Spencer. Don’t be in a rush to get drunk with your first glass of wine. The right way is to take your time and savor it.”
Spencer continued to tilt his head in sheer confusion, and the other two men could only smile wryly.
With that, the contract was now signed and sealed. Spencer put his copy of the contract into his briefcase, then got up to leave.
“Thank you for agreeing to this deal, Assembly Master. I genuinely believe this deal has brought America and the Martial Assembly much closer than before.”
Kang Jin-Ho also got up and offered his hand for a shake. “I’ll see you next time, then.”
“Yes, sir. Hopefully, as a friend and not as a government official. I know of a great local wine bar, so when you come to visit us again, allow me to treat you to some good wine.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Reynold Spencer smiled brightly, then turned around to leave. His expression was one of happiness and leisure, but his back was still soaked in cold sweat right now.
Once Spencer closed the suite’s door and left, Kang Jin-Ho sat back down and mouthed a new cigarette. After lighting it up, he leaned back and lazily puffed away.
With that, it was finally finished. Time-wise, this trip to the United States hadn’t been that long, but it still felt like he had been staying in this country for a while now. At least he could leave now, what with his itinerary finally all wrapped up.
Lee Hyeon-Su curiously asked, “Sir?”
“Mm?”
“What will you do about the Americans? Will you train them properly?”
“I guess so?”
Lee Hyeon-Su chuckled helplessly. “That man didn’t even know he was digging his own grave, sir. What can we do when he keeps walking back into the grave even after we pull him out?”
“Yeah, I agree with you,” said Kang Jin-Ho. He, too, chuckled wryly.
Without a doubt, the Americans must’ve been thinking of using the soldiers nurtured under Kang Jin-Ho as the foundation for their new training program. Unfortunately for them, however… That would be an impossible dream. No one could copy Kang Jin-Ho’s teaching style, after all!
The thing about the martial artists nurtured by Kang Jin-Ho was that… The more they performed well on the field and strengthened their positions, the stronger Kang Jin-Ho’s influence would become. And the dependence toward the Martial Assembly would only grow stronger in return, too.
“This was a good trade for us,” said Kang Jin-Ho.
“Yes, sir. A very good trade.”
Kang Jin-Ho and Lee Hyeon-Su stared at each other and cackled ominously, prompting Wiggins to shake his head with a rueful chuckle of his own.
Looks like we really are the daylight robbers here.
Just how many people in history would have extracted this much profit while signing a deal with the American government? There couldn’t have been that many, that was for sure.
This outcome only came about thanks to Kang Jin-Ho’s overwhelming martial superiority and the other party’s near non-existent understanding of martial artists. The timing had been fortunate, as well.
“Let’s go home,” said Kang Jin-Ho while sounding a little exhausted. “I wouldn’t mind a pot of good kimchi stew right about now.”
“Indeed, my lord. I agree with you.”
Lee Hyeon-Su saw Wiggins’ energetic nod and slowly shook his head. Seriously, just who was the real Korean here?
Regardless of what the answer was, though… Their trip to America was quickly winding down.
