This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 447

How can we even consider halting the meeting just for a phone call in this situation?

Is it because most of those insisting we should be more assertive are people who are distant from the Association Chairman’s faction?

Glaring stares bombarded me from all directions, as if questioning whether this was really the time to be answering phone calls, yet no one dared to criticize the Chairman’s actions.

No wonder, as even they acknowledged the overly heated atmosphere in the meeting room.

Although no one could predict how the conclusion would unfold, we needed to at least give our throats a momentary break to keep pushing our arguments without tiring out.

Throughout the meeting, we occasionally soothed our throats with bottled water or drinks provided by the staff, but we still felt that scratchiness rising in our throats, which is why no one dared to interrupt the Chairman’s speech.

Rather than interrupting, as soon as the Chairman grasped his mobile phone and rushed out of the meeting room, everyone hurriedly left in small groups.

As the atmosphere naturally shifted towards a short break, the Chairman, being the first to exit the meeting room, found a place alone that wasn’t fitting for his position and stared blankly at his noticeably old mobile phone.

‘What is this…’

Should I call it coincidental, or is it just bluntly obvious…?

It hadn’t even been long since the meeting about the strike was convened, and now a call was coming in from an unknown number on this mobile phone; is it really a coincidence?

What if a strange unknown number had called on the work phone I usually use?

I would have likely brushed it off then.

Indeed, the work phone sitting quietly in my pocket is widely known; while not everyone knows the number, there are plenty who are aware enough.

It’s natural, considering the number imprinted on my business card directly connects to my work phone.

In contrast, this phone I now hold?

It’s old, yet still personal with very few individuals actually knowing it—literally just a personal mobile.

Simply put, it’s a number that only acquaintances know.

Yet, for it to ring at such a time…

What on earth did they want to convey?

Were they aiming to assert they have the capability to uncover this much?

‘Well, considering…’

With such a lack of response, one would think they might hang up, but still keeping the call active, it must mean they intend to try calling until I pick up.

‘Tch…’

If it’s that person, they would definitely be like that, so what can I do?

Though I wasn’t thrilled about the idea, I had no choice but to answer.

As I stared at the number displayed on the phone screen—a number likely associated with a burner phone—I sighed and brought it to my ear.

Click—

That was the moment when the call connected.

—So, have you thought it over… yet?

Did it feel like a waste of time to them to even engage in some ice-breaking banter?

If they had gained this much leverage, one would think they’d want to relish in that superiority for a moment, but evidently, that wasn’t the case.

Instead of flaunting their superiority, they jumped straight to the point, which ignited a sense of unease in me.

That urgency signified that their sight had solely focused on my side, rendering everything else invisible.

How do I know?

Because I had once been in that very state myself.

In that aspect, I understood better than anyone what lengths a person in that condition might go.

No need to look far; just see the figure I was currently dealing with.

Isn’t it out of the ordinary for Association employees to strike in these times? They surely understood the gravity of what it signifies, yet clutching only to their purpose, went ahead and instigated such action.

The number of individuals who could potentially suffer due to this strike surely wasn’t on their minds…

Just as it hadn’t been for me back then.

“You have quite an interesting subordinate below you.”

—If they think so, that kid would be pleased.

I had expected some hidden trick when they boldly confronted me, but I never anticipated that the hidden card would be someone so rare as a person with psychic abilities.

While publicly, it’s known that psychic talents do not manifest, reality is different.

It’s exceedingly rare, reported to happen only once in several million cases, but nevertheless, it still happens.

And when such psychic-related powers do manifest?

More often than not, they end up working under the Association, going through various procedures.

However, as mentioned earlier, due to their extreme rarity, I was aware that such cases had not been discovered within Korea, unlike other branches where the population pool is larger.

“Evading your gaze couldn’t have been easy… How exactly did you manage to slip away?”

—I was just fortunate.

Fortunate, huh…

It’s not just something that can be brushed off that easily; I’m sure the other side realizes that even more.

Yet, for them to say such a thing must mean one of two things:

They might be completely oblivious to any ensuing issues… or they might have already managed to neatly wrap everything up to the level where they stop caring.

Which guess is the right one?

Considering the other side’s situation, the former likely seems more plausible, but… I couldn’t dismiss the latter either.

After all, this was someone as inscrutable as a raccoon.

Having rolled in this world for decades, no one knows when their head might end up on the line, yet they’ve managed to keep it intact thus far, which speaks volumes.

In that context, I couldn’t completely dismiss the possibility that the current image they were projecting was fabricated.

From preparing necessary materials to planning personnel, they were keen to handle everything while coaxing the Association to only grant their approval. Despite their persuasion, the lack of making a clear decision was due to this.

It would be a relief if simply granting approval and ending it were all that there is to it; however, if it goes sideways, that single decision could leave us decimated.

The issue is… we can’t keep refusing negotiations endlessly.

Sure, it would be unreasonable to think they brought only this one card to play.

They likely prepared a few moves for when we refuse the negotiations, ready to unleash one at a time whenever we speak “no.”

So ultimately, we’ll find ourselves seated at the negotiation table. For that moment as well, we needed to bolster our hand, even just slightly.

For when they begin to show signs of rampaging, we could put on the brakes.

‘Among those, the top priority is…’

Unraveling the identity of the psychic ability user, which could be seen as the core of this incident, or discovering how they lured that user into their ranks would be ideal…

But how?

How on earth did they do it?

I began to rotate my thoughts rapidly.

And like smoke, information about the person I was currently speaking with started to swirl in my mind.

So… would that be their family connections or career background… ?

As I reviewed the bits of information stored in my head one by one—

“Speaking of that, when you moved your office from the serious crime unit to Yeouido, the case you burst forth was… the Pure Love Church incident, right?”

I was able to formulate quite a plausible hypothesis.

—Hmm, thinking back, yes, that did happen.

“I was so busy chasing after the Another Ones that I didn’t experience it much personally, but that head of the church was purportedly incredible, right?”

—…That’s correct. Even as a man, he rapidly expanded his religious influence at a ridiculous pace.

His voice dropped noticeably compared to before, as if to highlight that statement.

—So, now what does that have to do with this recent story…

“Exactly. That head of the church was indeed a man. However, if my memory serves me right… doesn’t that head have a daughter?”

—Did they?

“Ah, no, was it a niece?”