Chapter 197: Yesterday's Enemy
Since he had even compared Hong Beom-do to a rat, it was easy to guess what kind of ferocious beast Ho-cheol was talking about.
The number of truly strong villains and heroes that Ho-cheol acknowledged could be counted on one hand.
And among the heroes and villains who surpassed Ho-cheol's standards, there was only one who could be drawn into this matter.
At the words that he would draw in Eclipse, the head of the Legal Departnt's expression turned black.
This was beyond the level of setting a house on fire to catch a flea; it was no different from dropping a bomb.
Just as the head of the Legal Departnt was about to say sothing, Ho-cheol raised his still-unfurled middle finger and cut him off.
“Judging by your expression, I know what you want to say. It’s a plan to avoid a large number of casualties, but you’re thinking that it could conversely cause even greater casualties.”
He wagged his middle finger left and right.
“The worst choice? Why are you worrying about that now? When was there ever a ti when the choices you guys made weren’t the worst?”
From 10 years ago to this very day.
The Association had always chosen only the worst option at the most crucial monts.
“However. Nevertheless. If I must. The reason why the worst-case scenario that follows from that worst choice did not happen is simply because a very small number of good people did their best.”
10 years ago, it had been The Sun and Smiley, and sotis even the Sword Demon.
No matter what kind of foolish things the Association did, they had sohow managed to prevent the worst-case scenario from happening.
And now, Ho-cheol was half-taking their role.
“Without even knowing that, you were so excited and kept choosing the worst option, and in the end…”
Ho-cheol tapped the list he was holding in his hand.
“You turned a perfectly fine hero into a villain. You stabbed a person who was trying to get their life together and live a good life in the back. And you even caused the death of the best hero.”
At Ho-cheol's scathing, even angry, criticism, the head of the Legal Departnt shut his mouth.
Of course, 10 years ago, when Ho-cheol was talking about, the head was not in a position to make such choices.
He could have felt it was unfair, but now was not the ti to argue about that.
“Even if the worst-case scenario you were worried about were to happen, it was sothing that would have happened anyway. So don’t worry about it. At the very least, I know how dangerous this is.”
The head of the Legal Departnt did not answer at all.
No, he couldn't.
At the more serious atmosphere than he had thought, Ho-cheol let out a faint sigh.
I just got angry for no reason.
In any case, the head of the Legal Departnt had the greatest authority within the Association among Ho-cheol's connections.
The other directors of the sa rank and the chairman could sotis be cooperative, but they were basically hostile.
And in a sense, the head of the Legal Departnt was also the person who had trusted him first.
“Still.”
Ho-cheol scratched the back of his head.
His voice was the gentlest it had been since he had co to the Legal Departnt today.
“I won’t let the citizens get hurt. I haven’t forgotten that that’s the most important thing, in the first place.”
“That much is a relief.”
The head of the Legal Departnt let out a sigh of relief.
He had been very tense because he didn't know when he would turn, but he was still the Jeong Ho-cheol he believed in, or more precisely, the Jeong Ho-cheol that Smiley had believed in.
***
Late at night.
Ho-cheol, who had arrived at the villain hideout, imdiately called for Wolf Fang.
And he explained the changed future plans.
“No. No. No. Boss.”
Wolf Fang, for a rare mont, was genuinely flustered and repeated the sa words.
If he had to choose the most surprising mont of his life, it would undoubtedly be when he had run into Ho-cheol, whom he had thought was already dead, in an underground fighting ring in the past.
And this was the second ti.
That's how frightening and absurd Ho-cheol's plan was.
If it were just an absurd story that was grasping at straws, that would be one thing.
But it was even more frightening because it was possible.
“I-I’m honestly really scared. As expected, it’s better not to draw in the Sun…”
He muttered as if genuinely worried.
Since he was a villain from the sa generation as Ho-cheol, Wolf Fang was more familiar with the hero na The Sun than the villain na Eclipse.
And he also knew his strength well.
“There’s no way The Sun would be cooperative with us. And if he’s even turned into a villain, wouldn’t he just throw a Black Sun at and the boss as soon as he sees us?”
“In any case, you won’t be seeing him in person.”
“Th-then that’s a relief.”
Wolf Fang let out a sigh of relief.
As soone who had to fight Ho-cheol's battles on his behalf, if Ho-cheol had appointed him as his representative even in a confrontation with The Sun, wouldn't he have been innocent even if he had run away?
“Anyway, I plan to draw him in like that and set the stage.”
“Well, as long as I don’t have to see him in person, I won’t object.”
Wolf Fang glanced to the side.
“But why is this person here…”
In fact, this eting was not held with just the two of them.
Next to Wolf Fang, Min Ha-rin was sitting.
Although she looked a little sleepy because of the sudden summons in the middle of the night, she was also listening intently to Ho-cheol's plan with her eyes wide open.
Ho-cheol let out a sigh and leaned his back against the backrest of the chair.
“For this matter, she will be cooperating with us.”
Ho-cheol's goals were currently three.
To prevent Hong Beom-do's organization and a few other villain organizations from committing large-scale cris.
The safety of the dean's granddaughter, Min Ha-rin.
And on top of that, the punishnt of the heroes who had colluded with villains and committed a nationwide fraud.
However, in front of Ha-rin, he had just vaguely ntioned that he had an ill-fated relationship with Hong Beom-do and that his goal was to bring him down.
Since Ha-rin was also burning with a desire for revenge against Hong Beom-do, there was no reason for her to refuse to cooperate with him.
“I was originally planning to plant an internal spy, but that period has been shortened.”
Originally, he had been planning to threaten an executive from that side and use him as his pawn.
In any case, since he was a villain bastard, it would have been no problem to find a weakness, put a leash on him, and threaten him.
But thanks to Ha-rin, he was able to shorten that ti drastically.
Of course, there was a considerable gap in internal power and standing between an ordinary executive and Ha-rin, who was just a team leader, but that much of a difference could be sufficiently filled with the trust Ho-cheol had gained by proving his ability to Hong Beom-do.
Ho-cheol took out the list he had received from the Legal Departnt.
The high-risk villains and villain organizations that were likely to harm citizens without considering profit and loss.
“I’m going to use this to get rid of a few of the guys who are truly loyal to Hong Beom-do.”
“Won’t he suspect sothing?”
“Of course, I’ll have to put in more real traitors and spies.”
An obvious lie would of course be quickly discovered and would arouse suspicion.
But if most of it was true and only a little bit of a lie was mixed in, and if that truth was a very sweet fruit, then there was no choice but to take a bite of the rotten fruit that looked fine on the outside.
“Well, it’s not like he’ll lose his mind and get rid of everyone.”
If he were to give him this list, he had no idea how Hong Beom-do would react.
It would be great if he were to purge them right away, but no matter how much of a fool he was, there was no way he would.
But at the very least, he would watch them with suspicion.
That much was enough.
At the very least, while his attention was turned inward, he wouldn't be able to do anything foolish outside.
And on top of that, that was just a consideration for the executives within the organization; there was no reason for Hong Beom-do to be so moderate with the external organizations or villains on this list.
He would probably try to crush them with force or threaten them first.
And when the mice were busy biting and fighting among themselves, the real predator would eat them all.
That was the most basic frawork of Ho-cheol's plan.
“But, ah, this, good grief.”
Wolf Fang licked his lips as if worried.
Ho-cheol's plan?
Of course, it could fail.
Then he would just have to revise it and respond with improvisation.
What he was worried about was rather when the plan went too well.
“If it’s The Sun, won’t he just kill everyone?”
No matter how rotten a piece of trash the opponent was, they still shouldn't die.
No matter how many tis the plan changed, that was a major premise that should not be changed.
“That’s where I have to step in.”
Ho-cheol let out a sigh.
A buffer to lower the level of a massacre to just a scene of harsh violence.
“In the end, the hardest part is my share again.”
At this point, I don't know if I'm addicted to being the one who takes the fall.
As they were busy revising the plan, Wolf Fang's eyes widened at a question that suddenly ca to mind.
“But how do we find The Sun?”
Wolf Fang had also shared so information from Ho-cheol.
And even the rumors that were circulating among villains recently.
Eclipse had completely gone into hiding with his entire organization, and recently, he had not shown any movent, let alone had his tail stepped on.
“There are even rumors that he has quit being a villain altogether.”
In the first place, since the Association had not officially recognized his turn to a villain, there were even opinions starting to circulate that it was all just a rumor.
“Well.”
Ho-cheol nonchalantly tapped the desk with his fingertips.
“If that man is determined to hide, I can’t catch him either.”
It was as foolish a task as trying to find the sun at night.
However.
“It’s just about finding an ordinary person, not a hero or a villain.”
It was not that difficult to find a father nad Lee Byeong-hoo, who had lost his daughter.
***
A columbarium, far from the city.
The shadows, stained with twilight, flickered jaggedly.
Ho-cheol, in a neat suit, entered the columbarium and looked around.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been here.”
His expression was by no ans good.
The reason Eclipse had beco a villain.
The death of his adopted daughter was the decisive event.
After turning into a villain, he had moved his daughter's remains, which had been buried on Association property, to this columbarium after it had been renovated.
Eclipse had moved them as secretly and carefully as possible, even changing her na so that the Association or others would not know, but in the end, he had been caught by the Association's information network.
However, the Association had only treated this information as pure information, and had not used it for any further purpose or aid for anything.
That was not the worst choice that Ho-cheol had so vehently criticized, but just a foolish act.
What if they were to steal these remains and use them as a ans of threat?
Eclipse's Trait, unlike Ho-cheol's or the Sword Demon's, was more specialized in large-scale destruction.
If he were to repeat terrorism and escape with determination, even the two of them would be helpless.
If that had happened, well, wouldn't the most advanced civilization in this country have been the Stone Age or the Bronze Age by now?
Ho-cheol's expression, as he looked around the inside, was by no ans good.
If it was a coincidence, it was a truly terrible coincidence.
No, since it was just the closest and largest columbarium in this city, in terms of probability, it would be the highest.
Coincidentally, Ho-cheol's parents were also enshrined here.
To the left from here were Ho-cheol's parents.
To the right was Lee Byeong-hoo's adopted daughter.
Ho-cheol's body naturally turned to the left.
“Haa.”
But he stopped before he could take even one step.
His sigh clearly showed his complicated feelings.
He had never visited this place, neither during his villain days, nor after his release.
No, he couldn't.
He had wanted to co several tis, but he couldn't bring himself to set foot in this place.
He thought for a mont and then finally turned his body back.
Not yet.
He couldn't be proud, but he had to be upright.
At the very least, that was the minimum condition to stand in front of them.
Ho-cheol checked the paper he had brought again.
“B-section, 12th row, number 15.”
Although he could have used a larger space in a more expensive section, Eclipse had just enshrined her in the most basic spot.
After wandering for a while, Ho-cheol finally stood in front of the target niche.
Inside the niche, a small urn and a photo were attached.
It was in his mory.
He had seen her final monts in a video at the Association.
It was a face too young to have a photo attached here.
Ho-cheol's expression changed strangely.
Although it was just to set a bait, he still didn't feel good about it.
He placed the flower he had brought, a rainbow cosmos, in the space in front.
He clasped his hands and bowed his head.
But he soon opened his eyes again and looked back.
“Man, my head is going to get a hole in it.”
Behind him, Eclipse, no, Lee Byeong-hoo, was standing.
He seed surprised for a mont to see Ho-cheol, but the emotion that followed was anger.
“How did you know?”
His eyes shone nacingly, as if he would unleash his Trait at any mont.
No, in fact, a red aura was already shimring at his fingertips.
But Ho-cheol did not say anything.
Instead, he turned his head back again.
He clasped his hands and offered a silent prayer in front of the niche.
His back was wide open, and his hands were even clasped in front.
A very defenseless posture.
If Lee Byeong-hoo were to attack with all his might here, Ho-cheol could have really died.
But Lee Byeong-hoo, instead, relaxed his hand, which had been gathering strength until just a mont ago.
A limp hand.
He stood next to Ho-cheol instead.
And he looked at the sa place as Ho-cheol and closed his eyes.
An enemy who stood on the complete opposite side.
But at the very least, in mourning the dead, there was only a distinction between the living and the dead; there was no such thing as an enemy.
After his long silent prayer was over, Ho-cheol opened his eyes again.
Lee Byeong-hoo had already opened his eyes a long ti ago.
He asked, as if he had been waiting.
“What is it?”
The anger from before had already completely subsided from his voice, and not even a faint heat could be felt.
Ho-cheol, who was still looking at the niche, said shortly.
“Let’s do a job. A bad thing that breaks the contradictions of the world you like so much.”
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