Chapter 327 – Part 2 – Persuasion

About 30 minutes after Choi Seong-min arrived at Team Crush.

Creak-

The office door opened and Yang Jo-young entered.

“Ah, Captain, you’re here?”

“Where’s Choi Seong-min?”

When Team Leader Bang pointed with his finger, Yang Jo-young strode over.

Choi Seong-min, who had been sitting on the sofa, stood up and bowed his head.

“Hello, Hunter Yang Jo-young.”

“You want to talk with me alone?”

“That’s right.”

“Fine. Let’s do that. Everyone get out!”

At Yang Jo-young’s command, the team members left the office one by one.

When only the two of them remained in the office, Yang Jo-young wore a mocking expression.

“I thought we’d never see each other again… What kind of shameless face brought you here?”

“I came because I want to rejoin the team.”

“So why do you want to re-enter the team you kicked yourself out of?”

“Wouldn’t it be because I missed Hunter Yang Jo-young’s team?”

“You’re talking bullshit!”

Yang Jo-young exploded in anger.

“A guy who’s living in luxury as a Great Hero’s direct subordinate is now saying what? That you’ll abandon the Great Hero and join my team? Fuck, anyone can see that’s bullshit.”

“The other team members were curious too, so when I told them, they showed the same reaction.”

“Of course, you shameless bastard. Do you think your words have any credibility?”

Yang Jo-young was genuinely angry.

After bothering to meet him, all he had to say was this nonsensical bullshit.

The shameless attitude made him even more furious.

“Do you know how I felt when I got the call that you came? It was fucking awful.”

“…”

“But when I actually faced you, I felt strangely good. Do you know why?”

Yang Jo-young suddenly equipped his gear.

“Because the bastard who abandoned loyalty and left came crawling back on his own. An opportunity to beat you up came.”

“Are you saying you’ll hit me now?”

“Why? Going to resist? Think you can face me as a D-rank?”

Yang Jo-young still thought Choi Seong-min was D-rank.

Since combat power hadn’t been updated, it was natural.

“I didn’t come to fight. I came to talk.”

“I have nothing to talk about with you, bastard. The only thing you can do is get beaten by me.”

“Nothing good will come from hitting a Great Hero’s direct subordinate, will it?”

When he brought up the Great Hero, Yang Jo-young’s eyebrows twitched.

In his excitement, he had forgotten who was protecting Choi Seong-min.

‘Stupidly forgetting that and making such a scene…’

Yang Jo-young, who blamed himself, had no choice but to unequip his gear.

Certainly, nothing good would come from hitting Choi Seong-min.

Not for himself, nor for his father Yang Baek-du.

“Lucky bastard. Get lost.”

Choi Seong-min silently looked at the wall clock.

The operation time of 6 PM was passing.

“I still have more to say.”

“I have nothing to say, so get lost.”

“It’s about your father.”

Instantly, Yang Jo-young glared at Choi Seong-min with bulging eyes.

“Say that again. What?”

“Hunter Yang Jo-young’s father is Secretary Yang Baek-du, correct? And you have brothers named Yang Jo-geon and Yang Jo-wi.”

Yang Jo-young’s family details were somewhat known facts to anyone in the Association.

It wasn’t something particularly worth hiding.

“So what? What about it?”

“Your father is in danger right now.”

For a moment, Yang Jo-young suppressed the laughter that was about to come out.

“Hey. Our father, an A-rank hunter, is in danger? Yeah right…”

Choi Seong-min suddenly showed him the contents of a text message on his phone.

[Choi Seong-min: I’ll start getting to work now.]

[Song Chi-hyeon: Okay.]

Yang Jo-young made an indifferent expression after seeing the conversation with Song Chi-hyeon.

“What’s this?”

“Do you know that your family has a dinner appointment at a restaurant at 6 PM?”

Yang Jo-young asked back in surprise.

“How do you know that…”

“I received orders from the Great Hero. While the Great Hero takes the Secretary’s children hostage, he told me to hold onto Hunter Yang Jo-young and buy time. The work mentioned in the text refers to this.”

“What?”

Yang Jo-young looked at Choi Seong-min with an incredulous face.

At the serious look in his eyes that couldn’t be seen as a joke, Yang Jo-young was speechless.

“The Great Hero has been planning to kill the Secretary for several days. He acquired a restaurant that the family frequently visits in advance and waited for them to fall into the trap. By now, the brothers who went to the restaurant have probably been taken hostage and the Great Hero is threatening the Secretary.”

“…”

It was too specific to be a joke and his eyes were too serious.

Most importantly, the two weren’t close enough to exchange such jokes.

Tssss-

Yang Jo-young, who had summoned his hammer at some point, slammed it into the floor.

CRASH!

Then he glared at Choi Seong-min with a furious face.

“If this is a joke, know that it won’t be funny. I’ll smash your head right here.”

“It’s not a joke.”

“Really?”

“Would I dare joke in front of Hunter Yang Jo-young? I don’t have multiple lives.”

“Hmm…”

Yang Jo-young was convinced.

‘Well, unless he wants to die, there’s no way a D-rank would joke around with me.’

He decided to believe Choi Seong-min’s words for now, but that was a problem in itself.

Since he said his brothers had been kidnapped.

“I understand there’s no lie in your words, but it’s a hard story to believe. It feels like listening to a low-quality conspiracy theory.”

“Everything I said is true. If you’re suspicious, try contacting your family. Though they probably won’t be in a situation to answer the phone.”

Since Choi Seong-min was the one suggesting to call first, Yang Jo-young couldn’t help but believe.

“Never mind the phone call, what’s the reason? The reason the Great Hero wants to kill our father.”

“I don’t know the detailed circumstances, but it seemed like he wanted revenge due to personal grudges.”

“You knew about this for days and condoned it?”

“…I’m sorry, but yes.”

If all this was true, Choi Seong-min was practically an accomplice.

Yang Jo-young wanted to punch his face right away, but seeing his repentant attitude, he decided to let it slide.

“What’s the reason you’re honestly confessing to me now?”

“Should I say I felt conflicted?”

Choi Seong-min entered full acting mode.

“Until now, I’ve carried out all the work under the Great Hero. I didn’t refuse even illegal activities. Although it was far from the heroic image I had in mind, I still worked without complaints. I rationalized that there must be good reasons for everything. But…”

Choi Seong-min couldn’t continue his words for a moment.

Contempt and disdain for the Great Hero leaked from his eyes.

“When I saw him trying to kill even civilians, I thought this wasn’t right. I couldn’t accept it. The act of murder itself had already crossed the line. And the targets were the family of Hunter Yang Jo-young, who has a connection with me…”

Whether Choi Seong-min’s acting was convincing, Yang Jo-young also listened silently.

“After receiving the mission orders, I couldn’t stand by any longer. I had to choose. Whether to let innocent civilians suffer like this, or disobey orders and change the situation.”

Yang Jo-young knew well what decision Choi Seong-min had made.

“In conclusion, you chose me.”

“That’s right. I had to decide whether to maintain the Great Hero line or switch to the Hunter Yang Jo-young line, and after much deliberation, I decided to return to my original place and am telling you all the plans like this. Though it’s a bit late.”

“Late is an understatement. Didn’t the promised 6 PM already pass?”

“I’m sorry. As a direct subordinate, betraying the Great Hero wasn’t easy, so it took some time to decide.”

‘Well… since the opponent is a Great Hero, that’s understandable.’

Yang Jo-young was already nodding in agreement with Choi Seong-min’s words.

Choi Seong-min’s realistic acting and specific reasons were persuasive.

“According to your words, by now the brothers are held hostage at the restaurant and father might be in a critical situation?”

“That’s right.”

“Then lead the way. I’ll check directly whether your words are correct.”

Yang Jo-young placed his hand on Choi Seong-min’s nape and said.

“If it’s not the situation you described or if a trap is prepared…”

Squeeze-

“Ugh!”

When he applied pressure, Choi Seong-min showed pain.

“I’ll snap your neck right away, so know that.”

“Ah, understood.”

“Instead, if it matches your claims and you help me save father…”

Yang Jo-young, who released his grip, patted his shoulder.

“I’ll give you appropriate compensation so you won’t regret betraying the Great Hero.”

“Thank you. I’ll trust only Hunter Yang Jo-young.”

Choi Seong-min bowed his head deeply as if pledging loyalty.

“Enough, there’s no time. Lead the way quickly.”

“Yes.”

When the two came out of the office with urgent expressions, the waiting team members looked puzzled.

“Captain, where are you going?”

“There’s something to do. If you have nothing to do, go home.”

Leaving the team members’ gazes behind, Choi Seong-min and Yang Jo-young headed to the restaurant.

* * *

Yang Jo-young, who was driving, was anxious during the trip to the restaurant.

Since his family’s lives were hanging by a thread.

At least under the premise that Choi Seong-min’s words were true.

‘Father, Jo-geon hyung, Jo-wi hyung. Everyone must be safe. Please…’

When they arrived in front of the restaurant, Yang Jo-young checked the time.

‘It’s already 6:30. I hope we’re not too late…’

But he couldn’t help but think of variables.

The variable that all this might be Choi Seong-min’s trap to catch him.

“Lead the way, Choi Seong-min.”

“Yes.”

Armed Yang Jo-young entered the restaurant with Choi Seong-min in front.

As soon as they stepped inside, Yang Jo-young was startled.

‘I can smell blood, though faint.’

He could also hear loud banging noises.

While searching for the source of the sound, the two didn’t encounter anyone.

“Someone seems to be fighting in that room over there.”

“I can see it too.”

Even without Choi Seong-min pointing, it was visible.

Traces of intense fighting.

“Approach carefully.”

Yang Jo-young approached cautiously with Choi Seong-min in front.

Since it seemed like quite an intense fight, sharp metallic sounds could still be heard.

‘If my prediction is correct, the people fighting would be Song Chi-hyeon and father. Their combat power is similar.’

Yang Jo-young’s prediction was correct.

When they arrived at the scene, Song Chi-hyeon and Yang Baek-du were engaged in fierce combat.

Then Song Chi-hyeon spotted Choi Seong-min and stopped attacking.

Yang Baek-du was also surprised to see Yang Jo-young.

“Jo-young!”

But Yang Jo-young’s attention was already elsewhere.

He saw heads rolling on the floor.

“Jo, Jo-geon hyung… Jo-wi hyung…”

As Choi Seong-min had said, they had been held as hostages.

Seeing not only their heads but also their wrists cut off, it was certain.

Now they were nothing more than cold corpses.

“Kugh, hy, hyungs…”

The fishy smell of blood stimulated his nostrils.

Yang Jo-young’s eyes became bloodshot.

“Song Chi-hyeon, you bastard, I’ll kill you.”

Yang Jo-young, unable to contain his anger, stepped forward with his hammer.

No, he tried to step forward.

“Don’t move.”

Until Choi Seong-min pressed a dagger to his throat.

“If you move any further, I’ll cut your throat.”

“You, you bastard…”

At the unexpected betrayal, Yang Jo-young’s anger turned toward Choi Seong-min.

“You bastard… you planned this from the beginning.”

“Yes. So don’t make any foolish resistance. If you underestimate me for being D-rank, you’ll die. Actually, I’m B-rank.”

“B… rank?”

Yang Jo-young showed an incredulous expression at the fact that he was the same rank as himself.

“This bastard is still lying in this situation…”

“If you can’t believe it, why don’t you test the damage?”

“…”

Yang Jo-young couldn’t move rashly.

Since a knife was at his throat, it didn’t matter whether he was D-rank or B-rank.

When Yang Jo-young seemed to have calmed down, Choi Seong-min’s gaze turned to Yang Baek-du.

“You there. Secretary?”

“…”

Choi Seong-min wore a mocking smile.

“If you don’t want to see your son die, put down your weapon obediently.”

At Choi Seong-min’s threat, Song Chi-hyeon, who had been watching, grinned broadly.