Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant - Chapter 115

Chapter 115

“Director Pi.”

“Yes, President.”

“How long until Hunter Ahn’s evaluation is complete?”

“It should be done within a week.”

“And his score?”

“He’s expected to be the first-ever perfect scorer, as well as the youngest.”

“Hmm.”

Jang Kyunghwan pondered.

The sudden uproar over the Royal matter.

He wasn’t sure why it had suddenly erupted, but both he and Pi Seongyeol felt unfairly caught in it.

In any organization, it was natural to give privileges and priorities to those with good grades.

It was the reward for hard work.

In that sense, Suho was the first-ever and youngest perfect scorer in the Korean Hunter Association.

Naturally, he had the right to join the best department in the association, the Special Department.

But the controversy over “Royal privilege” and “unfair appointments” was causing a headache.

‘This is maddening.’

Jang Kyunghwan usually didn’t pay attention to minor personnel matters unless it involved senior executives.

But with the media stirring things up, it was hard to ignore.

If these disturbances continued, they could become an obstacle in his future plans.

At that moment, Park Gyu-min spoke up.

“For now, maybe it’s best to avoid the storm. Send him to another department until the public calms down, then transfer him back to the Special Department once things quiet down.”

“Then, where should I send him?”

“I won’t suggest the Management or Awakening Department at a time like this. Instead, send him to the Gate Department. I heard that Team Leader Jung Chulmin is close to Hunter Ahn.”

“You…”

Just as Suho predicted.

Even though Jang Kyunghwan usually didn’t care for office politics, he was at least aware of the factions: Pi Seongyeol’s side and Park Gyu-min’s side.

And here was Park Gyu-min, not from his own faction, suggesting that Suho be sent to Pi Seongyeol’s Gate Department.

This made Jang Kyunghwan take a fresh look at Park Gyu-min.

“Director Pi.”

“Yes, President.”

“You’re aware of the public’s uproar lately, right?”

“Yes, President.”

“I understand that you’re frustrated, Director Pi. All we’re saying is that we want the top-scoring guy in the best department, yet they’re making a fuss over ‘Royal privilege’ and whatnot.”

“Well, I won’t deny it.”

“Right… But as you know, Director Pi, since when have people cared about right and wrong? They just jump on whatever issue is right in front of them. So, it might be frustrating, but what do you think about holding off on assigning him to the Special Department? Later, when things calm down, we can bring him back, claiming it’s part of a rotation policy.”

There it was.

The situation he had feared.

But did he have the right to refuse here?

The other party was the president.

All he could do was bow his head.

“…Then, where do you plan to send him?”

“You wanted him initially, so maybe to the Gate Department or the Resource Department. How about the Gate Department? Team Leader Jung Chulmin seems quite fond of Hunter Ahn.”

That was a relief.

He was worried that Park Gyu-min might use this opportunity to step in.

Pi Seongyeol nodded.

“Understood. Starting as a deputy team leader there should work.”

“Right. It’s a bit unfortunate we can’t take care of him in the Special Department from the start, but it’s something. Just bear with it for a little while.”

“Yes, understood.”

“Then let’s proceed with that and release a suitable article.”

After a quiet bow, Pi Seongyeol left the president’s office.

A bitter taste lingered in his mouth.

Normally, he wouldn’t have cared about the public’s noisy opinions.

But since the president was concerned, he couldn’t voice his own thoughts.

The silver lining was that the assignment was to the Gate Department, not to Park Gyu-min’s side.

‘Tsk, guess I should look on the bright side.’

Pi Seongyeol picked up his phone and called someone.

The recipient was Jung Chulmin.

***

“That’s great news.”

“Indeed. Just like Hunter Ahn predicted.”

After his conversation with Pi Seongyeol, Jung Chulmin immediately called Suho.

Everything had gone exactly as Suho had said.

Suho was assigned to the Gate Department’s management team and was even placed under him as his deputy.

It wasn’t a coincidence.

Pi Seongyeol had personally called to ask him to take care of Ahn Suho.

Suho smiled as he spoke.

“At this point, you must believe everything I say, right?”

“Well, it’s not like I didn’t trust you before. On that note, welcome to the Gate Department. I’m genuinely happy we’ll be working together.”

“I’m happy, too. So, will you speak informally with me now?”

“Uh… should I?”

“Haha, that’s much better.”

“Sure, if you say so. By the way, did you hear from Director Pi?”

“No, not yet. Looks like he’ll tell me on my first day back. There’s no need to rush with news like this.”

“Right. It’s not exactly ‘good news,’ after all. So, where are you right now?”

“I’m waiting for Son Baek-geum. Director Pi asked me to bring in Son Baek-geum if I could get any bribery ledgers.”

“Son Baek-geum? The Gangnam gangster?”

“Yes.”

“Oh boy… Even if you were specially recruited as a Grade 5, it’s a bit much to send someone still on probation to deal with Son Baek-geum…”

Jung Chulmin, being quick-witted, could roughly guess the intention behind it.

But knowing and saying everything out loud wasn’t always a good habit.

Though he clicked his tongue in sympathy, Suho seemed unbothered.

“They must have assigned it to me because they thought I could handle it. Speaking of which, once I start at the team under you in a week, what kind of tasks will I be doing?”

“Curious about the work already? You’re still in the middle of your evaluation.”

“Of course. It’s not like it’s in the distant future.”

“Well…”

Jung Chulmin narrowed his eyes as he pondered.

Ordinarily, he’d probably have Suho handle rounds and gate checks within designated areas.

But this was no ordinary person; it was Ahn Suho.

With a slight hint of curiosity, Jung Chulmin asked him directly.

“Be honest. Are you purely asking out of curiosity, or is there another plan behind it?”

“Come on, anyone would think I’m always plotting something if you put it that way.”

“Why pretend? Just be honest with me. I’ll do my best to take your opinion into account.”

At Jung Chulmin’s question, Suho laughed.

As expected, Chulmin-hyung.

Always on point, while pretending not to know.

With a feigned reluctance, Suho finally gave his opinion.

“Then, would it be possible for me to handle tasks that the Gate Department hasn’t been able to touch?”

“Tasks we haven’t been able to touch?”

“Like clearing sealed gates.”

“Hey, you…”

Indeed, sealed gates were still part of the Gate Department’s responsibilities.

Gate clearing was also a part of the management team’s duties, and hunters in the team usually tackled gates of moderate danger levels.

‘Each gate clear brings a performance bonus, after all.’

And sealed gates were included in that.

It was simply that they couldn’t conquer it due to its difficulty.

Jung Chulmin sighed and said,

“Why do you always go for the hard path?”

“Well, the sealed gates are something that someone has to tackle eventually, right?”

“If you put it that way, I can’t argue with you…”

But it didn’t have to be you.

That’s what he wanted to say.

But he couldn’t bring himself to say it.

He knew well what Suho was aiming for.

And he understood why Hunters existed, as well as why public servant Hunters were created.

After a moment of hesitation, Jung Chulmin sighed deeply and spoke again.

“Alright. I’ll see what I can do.”

“Really?”

“Weren’t you planning this from the beginning when you came here? Even if I tried to block it, you’d still find a way, wouldn’t you?”

“Haha…”

He filled the silence with laughter instead of an answer.

It was true, after all.

Still, he didn’t feel guilty.

Because by going through the sealed gates himself, he could help Jung Chulmin get promoted faster.

Suho spoke.

“Think of it positively. If you set things up, I’ll just go in and handle the clearing. That way, we can both climb the ranks faster.”

“Well, that’s only if you successfully clear the gates. Do you think sealed gates are called that for nothing? Such gates can’t be tackled by you alone from the start. If needed, we might even have to request outside collaboration.”

“I prepared for that possibility, too. And starting with easier places and gradually increasing the difficulty will make it easier for the higher-ups to approve solo clearances, right?”

As Suho spoke with a smile, Jung Chulmin responded as if exhausted.

“Just how far ahead have you planned?”

“My dream is to be a painter.”

“Forget it. Anyway, let’s meet in a week. We can have a welcome party or whatever then.”

“Yes, understood. See you in a week.”

“Alright. Take care, and let me know if you need anything.”

“Yes, thank you.”

The call ended.

‘Everything is running smoothly.’

Although he’d expected this outcome, there was still a bit of tension until the plan actually took shape.

Variables could pop up at any moment.

Suho immediately picked up his phone and called Seo Giwon.

– Yes, hyungnim.

“Giwon, where are you?”

– I was just about to head out to Paju.

“For training?”

– That’s right.

“You mentioned last time you were going to dig into Kim Goong-won’s hidden assets. How did that go?”

– …What?

This brat…

Suho chuckled softly and said,

“Hand it over. I need it for something right now.”

– Ahahaha… I was just about to bring it up with you, hyungnim.

“Who said anything? How much hidden wealth did you find?”

– So far, I’ve located 3.2 billion won.

“Only that much?”

– Only that much? It’s hidden funds, hyungnim. Cash totaling 3.2 billion is enormous.

Really?

Since his past life had accustomed him to dealing with hundreds of billions, 3.2 billion seemed relatively small.

Suho nodded.

“So, where is it all now?”

– It’s in my cryptocurrency wallet.

“You took it all from Kim Goong-won’s wallet?”

– Yes, that’s correct.

“What do I need to do to use it immediately?”

– There’s a physical withdrawal card. Would you like me to prepare it for you?

A withdrawal card.

With recent advancements, there were now cards that allowed instant conversion of cryptocurrency, much like a debit card.

Suho nodded.

“How long will it take to prepare?”

– Will you be coming directly to the house?

“Yes.”

– Then I’ll have it ready before you arrive.

“Alright, see you at home.”

– Yes, hyungnim. Oh, but hyungnim!

“What?”

– I really was planning to tell you. I had no bad intentions. I just secured this recently.

“Who said anything?”

– It’s just that, given the circumstances, I thought you might misunderstand. Haha…

“If you’re confident in yourself, that’s all that matters. But don’t try to deceive me. You know what my abilities are, right?”

– Yes, of course. I always keep that in mind.

“Good. Let’s keep up the good work.”

– Yes, I’ll see you soon.

After ending the call, Suho chuckled softly.

“Cute kid.”

***

That evening.

Suho drove all day, heading toward Gyeongsangbuk-do.

After a long drive, he finally spotted a familiar road sign.

– Welcome to Cheongsong.

Suho’s destination was Cheongsong.

Upon entering Cheongsong, he made his way directly to the vicinity of Cheongsong Prison.

More specifically, he was headed to Cheongok Prison, located next to Cheongsong Prison.

Cheongok Prison was situated at the top of a mountain.

Built beside a cliff, it was surrounded on both sides by steep mountain ranges, making it appear almost impossible to escape except through the main gate.

When Suho parked at the prison’s entrance, a person came out to greet him.

“Welcome. I am Kim Gilyeon, the warden of Cheongok Prison.”

The warden of Cheongok Prison, Kim Gilyeon, greeted Suho with a polite bow.

A figure got out of the passenger seat and returned the greeting.

“Yes, thank you for your hard work.”

The person who greeted Kim Gilyeon after stepping out of the passenger seat was none other than Pi Seongyeol.