Descent of the Demon Master

Lee Hyeon-Su asked back, his eyes wide open. “Starting a franchising business, sir?”

Kang Jin-Ho coolly nodded. “Mm.”

“Why the sudden desire to enter the restaurant industry, sir? Wait, did you get inspiration from one of those TV programs trending on social media right now?”

“I don’t watch TV,” said Kang Jin-Ho.

“...Ah, that’s right. You don’t.”

Although he said that in jest, the reply was far too dry for his liking.

After licking his lips ruefully, Lee Hyeon-Su asked another question. “But, sir. Why do you want to start a franchising business?”

“It’s because of the ex-Assembly members who quit recently.”

“Yes? What about them?”

“Their situation is pretty bad.”

“...”

Lee Hyeon-Su squeezed his eyes shut.

‘Well, I’m not surprised to hear that.’

The ex-Assembly members had something in common with retired pro athletes. And that would be... Folks who used to live in a world where doing one thing well could open all the doors now had to participate in a different type of competition for the first time in their lives.

Those successful athletes who had made enough money during their career could spend their latter years in comfort by becoming real estate owners or having shares in companies. However, what about those mid- to lower-tier athletes who couldn’t make much money? They had no choice but to start a business of their own to survive.

Unfortunately, it was fairly common to see business ventures started by former pro athletes going bankrupt.

One of the reasons for that would be... Having lived a life somewhat removed from the majority of ordinary people, these retired athletes found it difficult to figure out what their target demographic wanted.

‘And that story also applies to our people.’

That was why most retired athletes chose to become a franchisee rather than start something new on their own. That would prove to be more stable for them long-term.

“I understand your intentions, sir,” said Lee Hyeon-Su. “Since their situation is in the crapper, you want us to manage them somehow.”

“Mm,” Kang Jin-Ho nodded again.

“And, if MK acts as the franchiser, our people pay the joining fee.”

Kang Jin-Ho furrowed his brow. “Do they have to pay the fee, though?”

“Of course, sir. We’ll be running a franchising business, after all. If they don’t pay, who will deal with the cost of setting up the store? I mean, the money required to do all the interior fittings alone must be enormous.”

“Mm... How much money do you think our people have saved up until now?”

“Someone older probably has some wealth stashed away, but it’s safe to assume that most members in their twenties are basically broke, sir. If we think about how many are smart enough to save up for a rainy day...”

“...I’m guessing there aren’t any.”

“Unfortunately, I agree with you, sir.”

Kang Jin-Ho wryly smirked, then issued a new order. “Give them a loan.”

“...Heol? Assembly Master?”

“Take the percentage of the revenues as loan payments, then. Ten years should be enough to repay the loan, don’t you think?”

“But sir, we’re not a charity operation. What if their businesses go under? Who will shoulder the fallout from the bankruptcy?”

“Bankruptcy?” Kang Jin-Ho narrowed his eyes at Lee Hyeon-Su. “Failing while running their own business is their fault. Sure. However, if they fail while operating as a franchisee, isn’t that the fault of the franchiser? We should be paying them as an apology instead, yet you’re worried about bankruptcy and losses of revenue?”

“...”

Lee Hyeon-Su clamped his mouth shut. Of course he agreed with Kang Jin-Ho, but...

But the South Korean franchisers did not operate in that mindset. The fall in sales was always the fault of the franchisee, while any improvement in sales was seen as the work of the head office, which led to the demand for a higher cut of the profit.

As a matter of fact, the Korean franchisers were so scummy that they’d force a franchisee making good money to go through a redesign of its interior at the franchise owner’s cost. The icing on the cake was that said redesign could only be done by the head office!

“It is our job to ensure no one goes bankrupt,” said Kang Jin-Ho.

“Mm... But, sir.” Lee Hyeon-Su sucked in a deep breath. “I’ll set aside my personal feelings and speak to you in my official capacity. I firmly believe this is not a good idea. If you’re dead set on starting a franchising business, please remember that plenty of people out there are trying to do the same. As such, I...”

“Think about this for a sec,” said Kang Jin-Ho, interrupting Lee Hyeon-Su.

“Sorry?”

Kang Jin-Ho groaned deeply. “You can’t think of a way to make a living. And you’re rapidly running out of money. All you have on you is your cultivation.”

“...”

“What do you think you’ll do in that situation, Chief Lee?”

Lee Hyeon-Su slowly nodded after figuring out what Kang Jin-Ho wanted to say. “You think they’ll resort to crime.”

“Yeah. The odds aren’t good.”

Lee Hyeon-Su scratched his cheek.

Although Kang Jin-Ho probably didn’t know about this, there was an incident involving Taiwanese pro baseball players not too long ago. They got expelled from the Taiwanese baseball league for match fixing, but instead of seeing the errors of their ways, they joined the Triads and began enticing other players to fix more matches.

A person who had done only one thing to survive would eventually resort to whatever means possible if that one thing was no longer available.

“Rather than a business run for profit, I see that it’s more to do with charity,” Lee Hyeon-Su mulled audibly.

“I’m not trying to be that noble, though. It’s just that...”

Kang Jin-Ho mouthed a fresh cigarette and lit it with a lighter. After lazily exhaling the gray smoke, he glanced at Lee Hyeon-Su.

“The ones that pushed the quitters into joining the Assembly in the first place were the Assembly itself. And its older generations.”

“Yes, that is so.”

“Then, shouldn’t the responsibility of those members giving up on the martial path fall on the Assembly’s shoulders?”

Lee Hyeon-Su weightily nodded. He figured out what Kang Jin-Ho wanted to say here.

It wasn’t as if those members were forced to train by the Assembly. However, it was also true that training in the Assembly had robbed them of the opportunity to lead an ordinary life in the surface world.

A martial artist forbidden from relying on his cultivation would become the ‘weak’ in an ordinary society. Throwing away such martial artists to the surface world just because they no longer fit in with the rest would certainly cause several major issues.

“In terms of business, and as an official of the Assembly, I’m still opposed to this idea, sir,” said Lee Hyeon-Su.

“Mm...!”

“However, as a fellow human being, I’m fully on board.”

Kang Jin-Ho looked surprised just then. “I didn’t expect that answer from you.”

“Sorry? Why?”

“I expected you to say the opposite, actually. As in, it’s a good idea as a business venture, but a bad idea on a human level.”

“Why would you think that, sir?” 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

“Because of your personality?”

“...Seriously? That’s not funny, sir.”

Kang Jin-Ho smirked when Lee Hyeon-Su groaned in irritation.

“Yes, I get that I’m being a bit unreasonable here. We don’t have the experience in this field, after all. And I get that starting something new and this risky in the middle of everything we have going on will not be easy. However, there are some things in this world that we simply must do.”

“Understood, sir.”

“So, let’s give it a shot, okay?”

Lee Hyeon-Su nodded. “That means we must discuss a few things first, sir. When you say a franchise, what kind of franchise are you thinking about?”

Kang Jin-Ho rubbed his chin. “I was thinking of two things.”

“Two?”

“Yeah. One’s a cafe. I’m somewhat confident in most things coffee-related, after all.”

“Mm... Yes, that’s true.”

Lee Hyeon-Su nodded in agreement after remembering that the Assembly’s cafe currently enjoyed favorable evaluations from its customer base.

Even Lee Hyeon-Su, who boasted somewhat strict taste buds, had to acknowledge the quality of the coffee being served there. And Kang Jin-Ho was responsible for the coffee’s quality and ensuring that it’d stay that way.

“But, sir. To run the cafes as a franchise, we’ll have to expand their menu. And also do research and development on new products.”

“Sure. But we can leave that up to the professionals,” said Kang Jin-Ho.

“Hmm... For now, I understand. You said you were thinking of two, sir. What about the other one?”

“Well, I’ll be honest, I’m kinda conflicted about this...”

“Sorry? Why?”

“Because it’s about running a pizzeria. As the franchise, I mean.”

“...Ah.” Lee Hyeon-Su grinned smoothly. “You mean, the one your friend is running at the moment?”

“Yeah. And that’s why I’m conflicted right now.”

“I’m sure it won’t be a problem as long as the pizzas taste good, sir. From what I hear, your friend is about to open a third pizzeria. Since he came this far in a relatively short time period, isn’t that the sign of his pizzas being excellent?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Then this avenue is worth considering, too.”

Kang Jin-Ho silently nodded. Although the idea of dragging Ju Yeong-Gi into this situation didn’t sit well with him, that seemed like one of the best options available right now. Besides, Ju Yeong-Gi must’ve picked up a lot of know-how by now, which should help them out greatly in the future.

Lee Hyeon-Su tapped the side of his head with his finger. “Looks like things will get mighty busy for us. First of all, we’ll have to amend what MK does and register with the relevant authorities and then set up an R&D department as well... Which means we must hire new people, too.”

“Sounds like it.”

“Then... How about this, sir? It might not be a bad idea to hire people with the aptitude for office work from among those who quit recently.”

“If it’s possible, yeah, let’s do that.”

Lee Hyeon-Su’s expression grew a little more serious as he mulled over his thoughts.

Doing things this way would undoubtedly pose problems when compared to hiring professional workers. Even so, it also came with a definite advantage, one that should not be overlooked.

‘Let’s not forget how hot-headed our people can be.’

Since Kang Jin-Ho would personally tear their heads off if they dared to act violently toward customers, there was nothing to worry about in that regard. However, serious friction between the franchiser and franchisees was bound to occur at some point.

Imagine what might happen if an ordinary person with no power tried to oversee a franchise run by ex-Assembly members. That could lead to some serious problems. However, what if the overseers from the franchiser were also martial artists?

Even if things escalated into fisticuffs, at least they would be fighting on equal terms!

“Also, there’s another advantage to consider here.”

Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head when Lee Hyeon-Su said that. “Advantage?”

“Yes, sir. We can employ South Korea’s most expensive celebrity as our model from now on, too. Surely she’ll give us a family discount? Since we’re under the same corporate umbrella and all?”

“...” Kang Jin-Ho sucked on his cigarette while looking away awkwardly. “I’ll try to talk to her.”

“And one more thing, sir.”

“Yeah?”

“I’ll be honest, sir. This is not something you should attempt with a half-hearted determination. The financial investment required is one thing, but you must remember that going bankrupt by not trying hard enough will lead to the utter destruction of the lives of everyone coming along with us on this journey. If you’re serious about starting this venture, you must do whatever it takes to succeed.”

Kang Jin-Ho nodded. Of course he was ready to do that much. “Don’t worry. I’m prepared to invest as much money as possible.”

“No, sir. That’s not enough.”

“...Huh?”

Lee Hyeon-Su spoke gravely. “Statistically, women rely on the services of a cafe more than men. In that case, we must use a model who will prove more effective with the ladies.”

“Mm... That makes sense.”

“Also, the fresher the model, the better. Meaning, someone relatively unknown will be more effective than someone who already has plenty of miles under his belt.”

Kang Jin-Ho subtly furrowed his brow while leaning against his couch. Why did it feel like this conversation was herding him in a particular direction?

“Okay? So what are you saying?”

Lee Hyeon-Su smirked like a villain. “Sir, how about standing in front of a camera once more?”

“...!”

“All you have to do is... Just close your eyes and let us shoot maybe two commercials with you, sir. And that’s it. Surely, you wouldn’t say no to something that could determine everyone’s future, now would you?”

“...!”

Kang Jin-Ho’s cheeks twitched ominously. Look at how Lee Hyeon-Su had cornered him like this!

“I’ll think about it.”

“No, sir. That’s not good enough. You must give us your word now. Without this level of commitment, you shouldn’t even jump into the insanely competitive world of franchised food outlets. We must start attacking from the get-go.”

“Urgh...!”

“Please give us your answer like a man, sir!”

Kang Jin-Ho roughly scratched his head before groaning loudly. “Fine. I’ll do it if I have to.”

“Thank you, sir!” Lee Hyeon-Su whistled loudly. “Let’s see... The male model slot is now taken up by the Assembly Master, while Director Choi Yeon-Ha will handle the female model slot. And Miss Se-Ah can sing our theme song. Well, now~! Looks like things are starting to come together nicely.”

Lee Hyeon-Su began jotting down some ideas on his notepad before looking up at Kang Jin-Ho. “It seems we should get Director Choi’s agreement first.”

“Sure.”

“How long will you need to convince her, sir?”

“Dunno. So you do it.”

Lee Hyeon-Su blinked his eyes. “...I’m sorry?”

Kang Jin-Ho spoke flatly. “I’m saying, you convince her.”

“...Me?”

“Yeah, you.”

Lee Hyeon-Su’s cheeks twitched. “B-but, why, sir? Why should I speak to Director Choi Yeon-Ha! Shouldn’t you be doing this?”

“I can’t, because I don’t know anything about this business.”

“E-even so...”

“Chief Lee?”

“Yessir!”

Kang Jin-Ho smiled gently. “You are one of the heads of the departments here. Since that’s the case, it won’t do for a person in your position to avoid meeting a director of the same organization, now would it?”

“...!”

“I’ll set up an appointment with her right away, so convince her yourself.”

“Assembly Master?”

Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head. “Yeah?”

Lee Hyeon-Su rapidly spoke, his complexion growing pale. “I thought about it some more, sir, and I don’t think this will work, even on a humanitarian level. Let’s pretend this discussion never happened.”

“If you value your life, speak to her.”

“...”

“Now, get going.”

“B-b-but, sir!”

“Hurry.”

Lee Hyeon-Su listlessly got up to leave.

Kang Jin-Ho drove in the final nail. “You can do it. I believe in you.”

“Of course, sir...”

When the slump-shouldered Lee Hyeon-Su left Kang Jin-Ho’s office, his subordinate patiently waiting for him in the corridor approached him. “Chief Lee. The people you wanted to see are here, waiting for you in the guest’s area.”

“People I want to see? You mean... the bosses of the local thugs?”

“Yes, them.”

“Is that right?” Lee Hyeon-Su grimaced while rolling up his sleeves. “Hey, make sure no one’s nearby when I talk to them.”

The subordinate blinked his eyes. “...Sir?”

“Make sure no one interrupts me, okay!”

“...”

The subordinate could only pray for the safety of the bosses when Lee Hyeon-Su headed toward the guest’s area while gnashing his teeth.