Chapter 26: More Than Just a Service

‘Wow. He actually came.’

Lee Tae-sung swallowed hard as he watched Zhang Xuan walk out of the arrivals gate.

He had been surprised when he heard the news in the game, but seeing it in person in reality made the shock even greater.

He really came all the way to Korea!?

“(Oh. My brother. You came out here personally to meet me. Hahaha. Thank you.)”

Zhang Xuan recognized Lee Tae-sung, beamed a bright smile, and gave him a light hug.

Lee Tae-sung wondered if they were really that close, but he welcomed him with a smile nonetheless.

He had already mastered these basic social skills while working at a company.

“Haha. It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Zhang Xuan.”

Seeing this, the aides and bodyguards standing behind them were inwardly shocked.

‘Commissioner Zhang Xuan… is showing such a side!!?’

Who was Zhang Xuan?

He was at the very top among the high-ranking officials of the Party.

He was a member of the Politburo, and his father was one of the seven members of the Standing Committee.

He belonged to a family that even the President could not treat lightly!

There were almost no people he treated with such an attitude.

He was always sharp, and those who stood before him were usually busy being intimidated.

The aides swallowed hard and tried to straighten their posture.

They wanted to prepare in advance in case they made a bad impression on the Commissioner’s brother.

“(Thank you once again, brother. You traveled a long way for me.)”

“Haha…”

Lee Tae-sung laughed awkwardly.

Then, Zhang Xuan noticed something.

“(Ah. We cannot communicate.)”

Zhang Xuan was speaking Chinese, and Lee Tae-sung was speaking Korean.

Naturally, conversation was impossible.

At first, he had just greeted him by roughly guessing the context, but beyond that, the language barrier was clear.

“(Can you speak English, by any chance?)”

“Hahaha… I can only understand a little English.”

Zhang Xuan then addressed him in fluent English.

It wasn’t Chinese-accented English; it sounded like he had lived abroad for a long time.

“(Then wear this.)”

Zhang Xuan handed over an earphone.

“?”

Lee Tae-sung took it and tilted his head in confusion, but when Zhang Xuan motioned for him to put it in his ear, he tried it on.

“How is it?”

“…Wow. This is amazing.”

He was startled.

Zhang Xuan was still speaking Chinese, but he could understand it naturally.

Similarly, Zhang Xuan could also understand Lee Tae-sung’s words.

“Such a thing exists?”

“You’re a Hunter and you didn’t know? It’s sold at the Score Shop.”

Ah.

He had wondered when science and technology had advanced so much, but it seemed it was a transcendent item.

“Now. Let’s get in the car first. We can talk on the way.”

As Zhang Xuan said that and moved his feet, the aides surrounded the two of them.

Lee Tae-sung felt awkward being treated with such extreme hospitality.

“Huh?”

At that moment, Lee Tae-sung spotted someone among the people nearby.

It was Guild Master Lee Jung-woo of the Blue Dragon Guild.

He was once a genius sibling duo in Korea and the head of a major guild, and since his face had been revealed to the media, Tae-sung knew him.

Because there had been an incident involving his younger sister, Lee Ye-ji, and Tae-sung had looked him up again recently, it was impossible not to recognize him.

“Excuse me…”

“!”

Lee Jung-woo was flustered when Lee Tae-sung suddenly looked at him and spoke.

“Aren’t you Guild Master Lee Jung-woo?”

“Ah… yes. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Hunter Lee Tae-sung.”

He bowed his head in response to the sudden greeting.

Then, Zhang Xuan looked at him with interest from the side.

“Brother. Is it someone you know?”

“Yes. He is the head of the guild that took good care of me before.”

He still hadn’t forgotten the 300 million won given by the Blue Dragon Guild out of goodwill.

How grateful and reassured he had felt at that time.

“We were supposed to meet and have a meal soon, but somehow I couldn’t find the time.”

“Ho. I see.”

A hint of favor appeared in Zhang Xuan’s eyes as he looked at Lee Jung-woo coldly.

If he was someone who had bestowed a favor upon his brother, he was someone worth noting.

“You said you are a Guild Master?”

“Ah, yes. I am pleased to meet you in such a place, Commissioner Zhang Xuan. I am Lee Jung-woo of the Blue Dragon Guild.”

“Blue Dragon Guild. I have heard of it. Isn’t it the guild that has been rising in Korea lately?”

“Thank you for recognizing us.”

“Judging by the fact that you are at the airport, do you have an appointment?”

“That is…”

Lee Jung-woo rolled his eyes and answered quickly.

“I did have one, but it is not a very important appointment.”

“Then would you like to come with us? I plan to go to the Korean Hunter Association.”

“…Ah, yes. If you allow it, I would like to accompany you.”

The thought ‘Why are you going there?’ flashed through his mind, but Lee Jung-woo nodded first.

“Good. Let’s go together.”

Lee Jung-woo clenched his fist.

‘Sister! The fact that you set your sights on Hunter Lee Tae-sung was a stroke of genius!’

To be the head of a large guild, one must have not only skill but also brains.

Lee Jung-woo roughly deduced how the situation had unfolded.

Thanks to Lee Tae-sung, he had successfully established a connection with Zhang Xuan!

The vehicle prepared for Zhang Xuan was a limousine.

The back seat was very long, and the interior had been modified so that several people could sit around in a circle.

The aides took other cars, and only Lee Tae-sung and Lee Jung-woo sat with Zhang Xuan.

‘Jung-woo. Stay sharp.’

After getting into the limousine, Lee Jung-woo’s expression was slightly stiff.

Naturally, he realized he couldn’t just be happy about establishing a connection with Commissioner Zhang Xuan.

‘How on earth does Hunter Lee Tae-sung know Commissioner Zhang Xuan?’

He thought Lee Tae-sung was a recruitment target because of his talent, but to think he knew Commissioner Zhang Xuan?

This was not something to be taken lightly.

‘Is he planning to move to China…??’

China was doing what they did best with their massive capital.

In the past, it was about taking patents, technology, scientists, and Olympic medalists, but now they were taking Hunters!

They offered top-tier Hunters huge annual salaries and irresistible unofficial proposals. They made it so they could live almost like kings within China.

In fact, the Hunters who lived grandly like that defended the Communist Party system and were supporters of the President.

Because treating superhumans like Hunters allowed them to maintain the system even more firmly, China always put all its effort into poaching foreign Hunters.

In fact, the Blue Dragon Guild siblings had received a similar offer before.

‘I have to stop this.’

Lee Jung-woo vowed to himself.

Although his original intent in meeting Zhang Xuan was to establish a connection and expand his business in China, protecting Lee Tae-sung was more important.

Even if he didn’t join the Blue Dragon Guild, he was clearly a talent who would become a Hunter that brings glory to Korea later.

One could tell just by looking at his current potential. He must not be taken at a time like this!

“Haha. Our Blue Dragon Guild is conducting various businesses in China. I’m not sure if you’ve heard, but we recently expanded into the pharmaceutical sector…”

However, even while thinking that, he did not forget to promote the Blue Dragon Guild.

That was that, and this was this.

He had to appeal to Zhang Xuan by taking advantage of this meeting.

Fortunately, Zhang Xuan was also showing interest.

“I understand that the pharmaceutical field requires a tremendous amount of Scores.”

“That is correct. Our guild is staking its life and soul on digging into that area. Like-minded Hunters are currently giving up their own profits and continuing to purchase recipes.”

“You are doing a wonderful job. In human history, diseases and cures are inseparable. You say you also do business in China?”

“Yes!”

“Send a business plan to my secretary.”

“T-thank you!”

Zhang Xuan had a refreshing personality.

Guild Master Lee Jung-woo was overjoyed, thinking he had obtained what he wanted for now.

After that, they conversed on light topics, and the story that Guild Master Lee Jung-woo wanted to recruit Lee Tae-sung also came up.

“Ho. You wanted to recruit my brother into the Blue Dragon Guild?”

“That is correct.”

At that, Zhang Xuan smiled broadly.

“The Blue Dragon Guild isn’t bad, but it’s a bit small for my brother to unfold his great ambitions. Don’t you think so?”

“……”

Lee Jung-woo’s expression stiffened slightly.

Did that mean he really intended to take him to China…?

Amidst the complicated inner thoughts, the limousine arrived at the National Hunter Association.

People who had been waiting from the main gate flocked toward them.

“Welcome. We welcome Commissioner Zhang Xuan’s visit.”

The aides had sent word in advance, and Lee Jung-woo had also personally contacted the Association’s directors.

That was why they were waiting like this.

Someone of Zhang Xuan’s caliber was more important than the head of a small nation.

If he had gone to the government instead of here, he was in a position to have a private meeting with the Prime Minister or the President, so this treatment was natural.

However, the gazes of the Association staff were not entirely friendly.

They were thinking similar things to Lee Jung-woo.

‘China’s information gathering is truly terrifying. It hasn’t been long since Hunter Lee Tae-sung became known at the Association, yet they noticed and came personally already?’

‘We will never let him be taken. Just try and see!’

The faces of warriors fighting a desperate battle!

And seeing that, Zhang Xuan smiled slightly.

‘It seems my brother isn’t being treated poorly.’

Either the report the secretary had made was wrong, or something had changed in the meantime.

It didn’t look like he was living without any proper treatment; rather, didn’t they seem to evaluate him as a diamond in the rough?

‘Hmm. Not bad.’

At this level, even if it was a bit lacking, it could be accepted more or less as treatment for Zhang Xuan’s brother.

Zhang Xuan had no intention of forcibly bringing his brother to China unless Lee Tae-sung himself wanted it.

He had only come to Korea because of his own pride and because he had been angry at how his brother was being treated.

‘I should just apply a little pressure.’

However, he took an appropriate stance so that his brother would continue to be treated well even after he left.

-Korea is a good country, as expected. But China is also quite nice.

-Does my little brother have any interest in China? If you get to know it, there is no country as comfortable and advanced as that.

-You can ask me more about China anytime.

He threw these remarks at Lee Tae-sung with a smile as if he wanted everyone else to hear.

Every time, Lee Tae-sung could only smile awkwardly, but the Association staff were almost ready to have a fit.

-Haha… China is a good country, of course, but isn’t one’s hometown the best, after all?

-Of course. A person should live in the place they were born to feel the most comfortable and happy.

-Even things like Hunter Missions yield good results only when the heart is happy!

The high-ranking officials of the Association were startled every time Zhang Xuan said a word, and they countered him to a degree that wouldn’t be offensive.

They showed a desperate will to protect Lee Tae-sung somehow.

Zhang Xuan chuckled.

This seemed to be enough.

No one would dare to treat this Zhang Xuan’s brother carelessly anymore.

After looking around appropriately, Zhang Xuan put his arm around Lee Tae-sung’s shoulder.

“Little brother. Shall we go have a meal now?”

“Ah… yes.”

Lee Tae-sung had no choice but to nod in a daze amidst the storm-like situation.

After turning the Association upside down, Zhang Xuan had a meal with Lee Tae-sung at the top of L-Tower.

Sitting in front of a floor-to-ceiling window with a clear view of Seoul and the Han River, course dishes were served one by one.

‘…Whoa. This is no joke.’

Since it was his first time at such an ultra-luxurious restaurant, Lee Tae-sung ate his food carefully.

A chef came out and explained what kind of dish each one was, but nothing remained in his memory.

It was just that it was so delicious his eyes widened with every bite.

“Little brother. Is it to your taste?”

“Yes. It’s the best food I’ve had in my life.”

“That’s a relief.”

Zhang Xuan, who wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin, continued.

“Do you have a schedule after this?”

“It’s not that I have to go somewhere… but I have to log in to Dream World.”

It sounded funny to say he had to go play a game, but to Lee Tae-sung, it was more important than anything else.

Didn’t the origin of everything he enjoyed now lie there?

“Ah. Dream World is important. I also cancel most of my important appointments and spend the majority of my time in Dream World.”

Fortunately, Zhang Xuan deeply empathized.

Even for him, the most important thing in his life right now was Dream World.

“I received an escort quest from the Red Magic Tower this time. I’m not sure if you know about it.”

“I know. You mean the ruins, right?”

“Yes.”

“I heard the mage who presumably built those ruins was one of the greatest fire mages of his time. Even people like me, who stay cooped up in the research lab, have heard enough to have high expectations from the Magic Tower.”

Dream World does not wait just because a user is not logged in.

If you don’t keep the time, you simply fail the quest.

“Then you won’t have much time. Let’s get straight to the point. As you know, brother, I owe you my life. I came to Korea to repay that.”

“……”

Lee Tae-sung found this part fascinating.

‘Is there really a person who acts like this just because they owe a life-debt in a game?’

It meant Zhang Xuan took Dream World that seriously, but to Lee Tae-sung, it was slightly incomprehensible.

Well, regardless of whether he understood it or not, it turned out well as a result.

The Association was anxious about Lee Tae-sung, and the Blue Dragon Guild Master he met for the first time felt the same way, and he had already repaid all his previous debts.

Lee Jung-woo had even grabbed his hand and thanked him several times.

“Now, let’s think about what would be a good reward for you.”

“Huh? Haven’t you already given me all the rewards?”

Lee Tae-sung tilted his head. Everything he had done since coming to Korea was the reward, wasn’t it?

Wasn’t he going back now?

However, Zhang Xuan replied as if asking what he was talking about.

“That? That was just service. How could I, Zhang Xuan, settle a life-debt with just that? Once the meal is over, I plan to listen to what you truly want in earnest.”

“……?”