Chapter 141

Between Delusion and Design (2)

***

Whoosh— Splash splash splash—!

The combo boat carrying Jin Hyuk and Moon Seok-il sped across the water at a terrifying speed. It wasn’t cutting through the waves but rather skimming the surface like a skipping stone, moving with a light, nimble agility. The boat didn’t just slap against the water—it made a sharp *tsk tsk* sound as it repeatedly bounced up and down.

‘Ugh, this is scary.’

But Jin Hyuk didn’t show it.

Sitting in the middle on the right, he clenched his inner thighs tightly.

He couldn’t afford to look weak in front of Moon Seok-il and the agents who had come out of the cable car. Even as water splashed onto their faces and their hair got tousled like they’d been licked by a cow, they remained as calm as immortals lounging on clouds.

Truly, they were agents who had survived superhuman training.

The first reason was responsibility.

The reason they had decided to visit the cable car in the first place. Jin Hyuk received a monthly salary in dollars from Hong Ki-jun, and it bothered him that he had left the management entirely to Moon Seok-il. Sure, there was a fixed manager inside the cable car, but wasn’t Jin Hyuk the manager above managers?

And the second reason was preparation for future plans.

‘Ten years, twenty years—they’ll fly by. I need to be ready.’

With Yoo Myung-sun’s tacit approval, Hong Ki-jun had dismissed most of the long-serving executives of Sein Group, who could be considered Yoo Myung-sun’s loyalists. He then filled those positions with young managers.

Jin Hyuk could see the purpose clearly.

Hong Ki-jun was trying to fast-track the future.

The reports he had seen in Yoo Myung-sun’s study and the topics Min Yong-rak brought up during their frequent conversations were evidence of that. Watching the speed of Hong Ki-jun’s reforms, Jin Hyuk realized what he needed to do. Of course, it was just his own judgment.

‘If it were the old man, he’d just drop a hint and let me figure it out.’

Jin Hyuk was preparing for the day when Hong Ki-jun might no longer be able to come up with new ideas.

For that, they would need a highly secure research facility.

After the combo boat had flown like a flying fish for about 30 minutes, an island finally came into view.

The cable car island was nothing special.

It was a place where rocky outcrops, sandbars, and dense pine trees blended together like a natural fortress, with no trace of human activity. The only difference from the coast was that the water depth didn’t gradually increase but dropped off sharply.

The agent at the helm skillfully brought the boat to a sandy area that looked like a beach.

“Welcome to the cable car island.”

Moon Seok-il, who had nimbly leaped onto the sand, grinned.

Countless trainees must have found that smile sinister.

***

‘It would make a great resort.’

That was Jin Hyuk’s impression as he stood at the highest point of the cable car island.

It was a rocky area obscured by naturally growing pine and oak trees, and on a clear day, you could see the distant coastline. It was an excellent fortress—visible from the outside but hidden within. No wonder it had been used as a special forces training ground for so long.

There was a single concrete building, like a rural school, with offices for management and instructors, as well as trainee dormitories. Hong Ki-jun had taken care to renovate it, so it now had modern shower facilities and a bathhouse. The interior was meticulously finished, making it incomparable to other shabby government facilities with exposed cement.

“Nice. You could lock someone in here and make them study for the civil service exam.”

Heh.

Moon Seok-il snorted at the odd analogy. But, being a man of few words, he didn’t offer any further commentary.

Jin Hyuk was serious. Daejeong Group was already selecting top students as scholarship recipients—why couldn’t Sein Group do the same?

Another building housed a large training hall with mats, a dining hall, and a gym.

Thud! Crash!

In the sweltering heat, the agents were sweating bullets as they filled their lungs with the humid sea air.

To Jin Hyuk, they all looked like tigers.

‘Still no women in sight.’

It was said that the compensation and benefits offered here were unmatched anywhere in the world, and applicants were overflowing. Even though the selection process was highly exclusive and only a handful were invited, they only selected agents who excelled in both martial and literary arts. Women probably fell short in the physical assessments.

“We excluded women because of the risk of accidents. The vice chairman also gave the order.”

Moon Seok-il’s explanation came as he noticed the slight twitch in Jin Hyuk’s brow. Though they hadn’t been together long, Moon Seok-il had already reached a level where he could accurately gauge Jin Hyuk’s mood. Of course, it was also because he knew about Jin Hyuk’s plan to hire regardless of gender.

“A true expert would be able to handle such accidents too.”

It was a casual remark, with no particular meaning.

Jin Hyuk had no intention of questioning Hong Ki-jun or Moon Seok-il’s decisions. They knew what they were doing.

With a puzzled look, Jin Hyuk asked, “But there aren’t many people here?”

There were about twenty people in the outdoor training area and another twenty indoors.

According to the information he’d heard, there were supposed to be over a hundred people, but more than half were missing.

Moon Seok-il glanced at an instructor standing nearby, who stepped forward.

“Two teams are out for sea swimming, and another team is on leave.”

The instructor’s voice was calm but restrained.

Nodding, Jin Hyuk asked without uncrossing his arms, “They’re not illegally harvesting seafood, are they?”

“No. It’s strictly prohibited.”

Jin Hyuk clicked his tongue as he watched the agents sparring with indifferent expressions.

“But their skills seem lacking.”

“It might look that way to you…”

Moon Seok-il wiped his forehead, his expression unchanged.

Who wouldn’t be satisfied with someone who could take down Yang Gang-wook?

But Jin Hyuk wasn’t talking about the agents’ skills.

“No, I mean the instructors. They only explain things verbally.”

His friend Park Sang-ki, who had transferred schools, said that a good coach doesn’t just explain things verbally.

*

Thud! Crash!

Five instructors charged at once, but all of them were slammed onto the mats.

It was a demonstration match held in front of seated trainees.

Even as he moved, Jin Hyuk didn’t stop talking.

“You need to prepare for the next move.”

“Don’t predict the outcome. Assume this attack will fail.”

“Speed is more important than strength.”

“But no matter how fast you are, without strength, it’s just a fly’s flutter.”

It was contradictory teaching.

One moment he emphasized speed, the next he switched to strength.

‘Ugh, damn, it’s easy to talk.’

Drenched in sweat, the instructors got up on their knees, muttering to themselves.

Up close, Jin Hyuk looked too young to be this skilled.

Who was this young man, tossing them around like water balloons? Seeing the composed way Moon Seok-il, the training commander, followed his lead, they had assumed he was a high-ranking executive or a member of the owner’s family. But seeing his martial arts skills, they wondered if he might be a martial arts instructor hired from outside.

Moon Seok-il smiled weakly as he watched Jin Hyuk, dressed in jeans, dominate the match alone.

He already knew about Jin Hyuk’s skills, so that was fine.

‘That’s just nonsense.’

As if it were that easy.

What’s the difference between that and Cha Bum-keun showing off dribbling skills to elementary school kids? The kids would be miserable.

Jin Hyuk was worse than Yang Gang-wook.

At least Yang Gang-wook acknowledged that his opponent wasn’t a bear and adjusted accordingly, but Jin Hyuk didn’t even consider his opponents to be on his level.

‘Selfish brat.’

Still, Moon Seok-il was relieved that he wasn’t in that position.

***

Hong Ki-jun paced the reception room, holding Hong Soo-hyuk in one arm.

In his other hand, he held a secure phone, mid-call.

“Really? Jin Hyuk?”

When Son Jin-hyeok had mentioned visiting the SSS training facility, Hong Ki-jun had thought it was just the curiosity of a spirited teenager. But after hearing Moon Seok-il’s sigh-filled report, he felt dizzy.

‘That shadowy bastard… Was he lying to me?’

When Jin Hyuk had shown behavior beyond his years, Hong Ki-jun had thought he was just an extraordinary kid. From what he’d observed in his past life, Jin Hyuk was cold and sharp. But lately, he had started to doubt Jin Hyuk’s very existence.

Hong Ki-jun had been the one to set expectations and manipulate things, but the reports coming through Min Yong-rak far exceeded his expectations. No matter how brilliant someone was, it wasn’t easy to assert opinions so definitively. Even gamblers predicted World Cup winners based on odds, but this kid laid out the complex workings of a corporation like it was a multiple-choice test.

The visit to the cable car was the same.

He hadn’t visited as a guest but as a ruler, inspecting the training conditions. Two instructors who had sparred with him were so exhausted they needed IVs.

Of course, he had been given some management responsibilities. But Hong Ki-jun hadn’t expected him to get so directly involved.

Well, that part didn’t matter much.

“You didn’t request this, did you?”

– No. Jin Hyuk said he wanted to see it, so I brought him. From now on, I’ll restrict access…

“No, let him do as he pleases.”

It’s his anyway.

If it weren’t for Jin Hyuk, Hong Ki-jun wouldn’t have been able to return. Using future information to quickly take control of the group and spend money like water would have been impossible. His return was entirely thanks to Jin Hyuk.

“Anything else?”

– He’s asking if we can build more structures since there’s a lot of unused land.

“Structures? For what?”

– I’ll discuss it further with him.

How many buildings could they possibly build?

Even if they poured money into the sea with an excavator, it would grow faster than it could be wasted. The Sein Group, which Hong Ki-jun had taken over and redesigned, was that kind of conglomerate.

Hong Ki-jun turned on the TV while waiting for Moon Seok-il’s call. It was Sunday—wasn’t there anything fun on…?

Having stepped down as chairman and now handling only major decisions as vice chairman, he could relax on weekends.

Soon, the phone rang again.

– Blah blah blah…

Huh.

When Hong Ki-jun heard Moon Seok-il’s response, his cheek tingled, and he felt the blood drain from his head.

‘This kid, could it be…?’

Hong Ki-jun thought of a two-person, three-legged race in the dark.

That was the only image that came to mind.

They couldn’t see each other or hear each other’s voices, but they moved in sync, heading toward the distant North Star.

‘Whether he knows it or not, it feels like he’s giving me homework.’

Hong Ki-jun vaguely understood Jin Hyuk’s message.

‘I want to do something else.’

Whether Jin Hyuk intended to reveal his existence or not, it didn’t matter. In Hong Ki-jun’s mind, Jin Hyuk was no longer just his son’s friend or a smart middle schooler. Unintentionally, Jin Hyuk had given Hong Ki-jun a hint about his existence.

‘Stupid shadow! Talking about the weight of the soul, but it seems even he didn’t know!’

Hong Ki-jun burst out laughing.

“Hahahaha!”

Even as Hong Soo-hyuk looked up in surprise, Hong Ki-jun’s hearty laughter continued.

The loneliness he had felt but couldn’t express was momentarily erased.

Breaking news flashed on the TV in the reception room, but he paid no attention.

「Kim Il-sung has died」

Hahahaha!

The death date was earlier than in the previous world. But who cares?

The military would go on high alert, but Hong Ki-jun knew nothing would happen. For him, it was just another investment opportunity.

Hong Soo-jung, passing by with boxing gloves on, squinted her eyes.

“Dad, are you that happy Kim Il-sung died?”

It’s fine to be happy, but isn’t laughing so openly a bit much?

Dad used to be a decent person, but after becoming vice chairman, he’s changed so strangely.

Has his personality gone bad?

***

After finishing the visit, Jin Hyuk climbed back onto the rocky cliffs of the cable car island.

It was a bit humid, but the summer haze made it cool.

The SSS agents on the cable car island far exceeded the level of bodyguards he had seen in his past life. It had been a satisfying visit.

Moon Seok-il approached after finishing his conversation with the instructors. He had made excuses for the instructors, but he also needed time to report Jin Hyuk’s actions to Hong Ki-jun.

“I heard on the way here that Kim Il-sung died.”

“It wasn’t someone on our side, was it?”

It wasn’t exact, but June didn’t seem like the time of death Jin Hyuk remembered. He tilted his head in confusion.

There was no reason for Hong Ki-jun to order an assassination, but if it were true, it could escalate into a serious problem. Was there some secret involved? Jin Hyuk stared intently at Moon Seok-il’s eyes, hidden behind his sunglasses and expressionless face.

But Jin Hyuk’s tension dissipated in less than a breath.

‘Guess not.’

Moon Seok-il’s lips twitched like a catfish’s whiskers.

Then what the hell is it, old man?

Jin Hyuk was annoyed by Moon Seok-il’s uncharacteristic giggling.