Chapter 95: Core Refining Machine (1)
‘Sub Lord?’
All the executives were surprised at the unexpected promotion.
A second ago, the man seemed enraged, but now, he appointed someone as the Sub Lord.
The executives should’ve been happy, but they were as shocked as Chun Yu-jang.
Chun Yu-jang opened his mouth.
But nothing came out.
“Why aren’t you saying anything? Isn’t it admirable to be a Sub Lord at this age?”
Only when he heard the words of Chun Yeowun did he come back to his senses.
Although he realized that he had shortcomings, Chun Yeowun, the legend of the Cult, appointed him as the Sub Lord.
‘Who else can get this glory!’
Chun Yu-jang bowed and cried out.
“I will not disappoint you!”
“I hope you do.”
Chun Yu-jang was appointed as the Sub Lord of the Sky Demon order, which was a vacant position for a long time.
In a way, he was fortunate.
Unlike the heads of the other two factions, he didn’t think of playing tricks and acknowledged the existence of Chun Yeowun right away.
“Okay then, let’s continue the meeting?”
Tak!
Chun Yeowun sat down at the top seat.
The executives who were standing also sat down.
Chun Yu-jang got up and sat in his seat.
His heart, however, was still full of boiling emotions.
“Let’s start with the problem of merging everything into the Cult.”
The meeting went smoothly.
The agenda was to unite all the factions into one Cult.
The PPT material was prepared in advance by Huan Myung-oh and was played out.
He pointed to the graph illuminating on the wall with a laser pen and explained.
“If you look at the graph, you can see that the main Cult is a branch of this company.”
There were a total of 40 companies.
After the dissolution of Black Sky Company, the Cult was divided into 3 factions, and two factions managed to create notable companies in the business world.
Chun Woo-kyung was an exception since he ran an organization with small to medium-sized enterprises and venture companies.
“Among the listed groups, 13 companies have significantly higher stock prices.”
“Mergers and acquisitions will be difficult.”
The people mumbled at that.
There were different types of mergers.
The most common form was that a large company would buy a small one, but funds were the problem.
“So what’s your plan?”
“A new merger of affiliates of the same type.”
The Yongchun and the Chunshin group, which had multiple subsidiaries, had similarly oriented affiliates under them.
The same was true for SMEs and venture companies.
And merging similar ones would reduce the financial burden.
“But it will take quite a lot of time compared to normal mergers.”
It was because this required the persuasion of each company’s shareholders.
If the company merged, then it was the duty of the higher company to convince them that their company would grow bigger once it came under their company.
And that wasn’t an easy task.
“Complicated.”
Chun Yeowun clicked his tongue saying that.
Unlike anything else which seemed simple in the modern world, the process of merging was too complicated.
There were too many restrictions starting with tax issues.
But it didn’t matter.
The corporate matters were the executives’ responsibilities.
“And how long will it take?”
“Since we haven’t even started the negotiations with the Chunshin group, if we start it now, it would take around a year.”
At Huan Myung-oh’s words, Chun Yeowun said.
“Too long.”
“A few required permit reports from the IRS and the economic commission from the government. This cannot be completed in a short time because there are screening and verification processes.”
The others nodded in agreement.
A merger of a small company would end with a small bride, but it was tougher since the company they wanted to merge was huge.
Naturally, the bribing won’t work as huge companies were under the watch of the Chinese government.
“Huan Myung-oh.”
“Yes. Lord.”
“What you told me now is the normal procedure. Which means that there is another way, right?”
Huan Myung-oh responded to Chun Yeowun’s words.
“Right.”
“Then what is the problem?”
“The Ministry of Murim and the Murim a.s.sociation have connections with economic organizations, including the state council. They will surely obstruct us when we try to merge.”
If all the companies affiliated with the Sky Demon Order were merged, the growth potential would be enough for the Cult to enter into the top 20 businesses.
That would definitely cause trouble for the Murim a.s.sociation.
“Pathetic ones.”
Chun Yeowun clicked his tongue in disappointment.
Even with the Imperial Family not controlling Murim anymore, the Murim a.s.sociation was now stepping in his way.
“I apologize.”
“Chun Yu-jang. Huan Myung-oh.”
“Yes. Ancestor!”
“Yes. Lord!”
Chun Yeowun called the two of them.
“I will give you three months. Get the consultation and the merging of the w.a.n.gshin and the Chunshin group within that time.”
“Huh? L-Lord. To make it happen so fas…”
“It is up to you people to make it happen.”
Not just Huan Myung-oh, but even Chun Yu-jang was perplexed at that.
If a person knew a little bit of management, then one would know how unreasonable that was.
Chun Yu-jang looked at Chun Yeowun’s eyes.
‘Ahh. Ancestor is testing us again.’
Testing him again.
Hearing unreasonable demands, he remembered his father, Lord Chun Woo-jin.
Chun Woo-jin, who left the Black Sky Company, never gave the executives easy tasks.
Perhaps the one leading the group hopes for those following him to be capable.
With a confident look, Chun Yu-jang said.
“I’ll do it.”
The faces of executives, including Huan Myung-oh, were distorted.
Chun Yeowun warned.
“I know better than anyone how you all stayed at this level only. If you say that something is difficult from now on, I will judge that you are not worthy of the position you are in.”
‘!!!’
The faces of the executive turned pale.
“Answer!”
Hu Bong yelled with a loud voice.
“Yes!!”
Looking at them, Mun Ran-yeong and Hu Bong shook their heads.
Their antic.i.p.ation for the future descendants ended up with disappointment.
‘They need mental training.’
Hu Bong vowed to get everything done.
But he knew that Chun Yeowun wasn’t the kind to leave the matter in others’ hands.
“I will take care of the Murim a.s.sociation.”
“Ah!”
At those words, Chun yu-jang and the executives smiled.
If the checks on the company were stopped, then they could get the task done.
However, that didn’t mean that all their problems were solved.
‘To deal with the Murim a.s.sociation means to deal with the entire Murim.’
The Jinan Murim a.s.sociation handled the Gate battles.
And that was why the Cult was never able to respond to battles.
However, the a.s.sociation had already realized that the Cult was moving, so they would do everything in their power to stop them from rising.
In other words, it meant war.
‘Maybe I need to prepare!’
‘It is war with them!’
After 27 years, the battle between the Sky Demon Order and Murim was finally going to happen.
Surprisingly, the concerns of the past turned into determination.
The 27-year-old grudge engraved in their bones.
‘Huh!’
Seeing that, Chun Yeowun smiled.
He was going to warn them if they showed weakness, but that didn’t seem necessary.
“Hang Yu-rin.”
“Yes, Lord.”
“I will give you a different mission.”
“Yes.”
“Take the information from the info group under Huan Myung-oh and merge the information side with the Chunshin Group.”
Huan Myung-oh was fl.u.s.tered at those words.
“Lord. The info group…”
He was the one who had been handling the information gathering.
And when he was asked to give the management rights to someone else, he felt bad.
“I am not getting rid of your rights.”
“What do you mean?”
“They are to hand over the intelligence and information in charge of finding the Lord, to Hang Yu-rin.”
“Ah…”
Huan Myung-oh felt relieved at that.
Once the merger process started, Huan Myung-oh wouldn’t be able to handle everything.
Chun Yeowun was trying to make Hang Yu-rin work on it in the meantime.
“After 10 days, when the training in the Chunshin group is done, the Great Guardian will come here. Get all the information about that secret prison from him.”
‘Ah!’
For 27 years, the Great Guardian had been tracking the whereabouts of the Lord.
And his data would be even more ma.s.sive than the two factions.
In conclusion, Chun Yeowun asked her to gather all the information and see the tracking process.
“Yes!”
“I will give you two months. Find the current Lord.”
“Yes! I will definitely find him!”
Pak!
She knelt down and bowed.
Finding their Lord was something they have always been longing for.
Once everything was done, Chun Yeowun asked Yu So-hwa to bring something.
That was.
“Core!”
They were the A and C-cla.s.s cores that Chun Yeowun had obtained.
They were kept in the safe of the vice-chairman"s office.
And Chun Yeowun took out the S-cla.s.s core from his waist bag.
Goo!
“Oh!”
“Th-that…!”
He just took it out, but its energy made the executives drool.
“S-cla.s.s core.”
“H-How?”
Since they all weren’t registered Murims, they couldn’t partic.i.p.ate in the Gate Defense openly, so they didn’t have the chance to see cores.
As a result, seeing 3 of them in front of them shocked them.
Looking at their reaction, Chun Yeowun opened his mouth.
“There are other pressing issues with you all.”
“…”
At those words, the executives couldn’t raise their heads.
Chun Yeowun repeatedly criticized them for being pathetic compared to their ancestors.
It was the same for Chun Yu-jang.
“Your energy is pathetic.”
Even Hang Yu-rin, a Superior Master, had only 80% of internal energy compared to Superior Masters of the past.
That was due to the weak energy in the nature around them.
And the Murim a.s.sociation only supplied a.s.sisting devices to the ones under it.
Besides, the Cult was at a disadvantage.
“By refining the core, we raise the power of the Cult. Do you get it?”
“Yes!!!”
The executives all responded.
In the present era, cores were the best way to improve their skills.
And if that was given to them, then it would surely help them grow stronger.
‘Core!’
Happiness was apparent on all their faces.
“I heard there is a way to refine the core. Can you secure that?”
Chun Yeowun could refine the core through Nano.
However, it would be impossible to absorb the energy and then pa.s.s it to others.
Huan Myung-oh then said.
“I was about to say. The Cult hasn’t yet established a technology to refine the core.”
It was due to the restrictions.
The Cult wasn’t registered under the Murim a.s.sociation and couldn’t partic.i.p.ate in Gate wars.
As a result, there was no need for them to have cores, and getting a refining tech was difficult because of that.
“Are you saying refining cannot be done?”
“No. not that, we found a core refining machine when we were cleaning up the Murim branch in Jinan city.”
Huan Myung-oh has always wanted to secure that machine.
But he couldn’t get his hands on it.
However, when the chance came, he didn’t miss it.
“That is good.”
Huan Myung-oh couldn’t hide his happy face at that.
“And where is it located?”
“It is located in the product warehouse in the Jinan city Murim a.s.sociation branch.”
“Why didn’t you move it?”
Huan Myung-oh answered it.
“The device is so big that we need to disa.s.semble it to move it. Since we couldn’t remove it carelessly, we were securing the blueprint first. It was done yesterday, and the disa.s.sembly started this morning. I will check when we’ll get it delivered.”
Huan Myung-oh made a call.
The call didn’t connect despite the constant ringing.
Sensing that it was strange, Huan Myung-oh frowned and called the one in charge of security.
“Uh?”
However, that person didn’t answer either.
Just in case, he looked to see if his phone had some problem.
He had instructed his guard to text him once every 30 minutes to make sure nothing went wrong.
The last text was received 40 minutes ago.
Biting his lip, he said.
“… we seem to have a problem.”
The Murim a.s.sociation’s product warehouse in the southern part of Jinan city.
There, warehouses and factories of various companies were located.
It was possible to put their warehouses in a secret place, but the Murim a.s.sociation wanted them to be in that place.
Sector 7 warehouse.
A device that could enhance the core.
Although it was a device, it weighed around 400 tons.
And it took up a huge s.p.a.ce.
Even after disa.s.sembling, it would take a few huge trucks to move it.
And such a device was being disa.s.sembled and transported.
Wheing!
The boxes were moved non-stop by machines.
There was a middle-aged man in a blue padded jumper watching it.
The blue scabbard around the waist showed that he was a Murim warrior.
Shh!
A man with a black mask appeared.
“All the corpses have been disposed of.”
“How many minutes pa.s.sed since the bodyguard sent the text?”
“Fifteen minutes later than usual.”
“I guess we have time here.”
Almost everything was loaded in boxes.
And in 10 minutes, everything would be done.
“It will take the Yongchun group at least 40 minutes to come here.”
“Move it.”
Hearing the middle-aged man’s words, the masked man bowed.
“With the kind of protection you gave us, we were able to start the mission with peace. To be honest, I don’t even think they will come.”
At those words, the middle-aged waved his hand.
“Don’t just say stuff like that.”
“I am serious. I just came here as the a.s.sociation dispatched me, but I never dreamed of being with such a great person. It is an honor.”
The middle-aged man smiled at those words.
Who would even hate praises?
“One of the Five Great Warriors, warrior Kwak, is with us. Besides, Eighteen Flame Plum troops are guarding this place, so why would I be scared even if the remnants of the Cult come?”
Shockingly, the man was Kwak Woon, one of the Five Great warriors of Mount Hua.
One of the five Great warriors had descended here.
It was only natural for the masked man to be pleased.
“Stop with this and finish the rest of the work. Even if you don’t want to, get this work done, we don"t need others to get hurt.”
Roll!
Before Kwak Woon could even finish speaking, something rolled on the floor.
The masked man looked down.
“Kuk!”
It was a man’s head.
Kwak Woon was shocked.
“Seong-gyeom!”
The deceased was his disciple and a member of the Eighteen Flame Plum troops.
It was ridiculous.
He was supposed to be guarding the southern entrance of the warehouse with four others, so what is his head doing here?
‘I didn’t even feel anything, who did this?’
He was one of the Five Great Warriors, and he could sense everything around him.
And then he heard something else.
Roll!
This time it was two heads.
“Han-jeong! Yun-hwan!”
Two more of the same troops.
They were supposed to be guarding the eastern side of the product warehouse.
They had blank expressions, which meant they didn’t even see what had happened.
“K-Kwak Woon sir! What the h.e.l.l is this?”
Even the masked man couldn’t hide his shock.
Kwak Woon opened his energy to sense his surroundings.
And at that moment he felt something.
‘This!’
The west side of the warehouse.
“How dare that person!”
Kwak Woon brought out his sword and stretched out his hand to the west.
Shhh!
The Scarlet Plum Sword, a treasured sword of Mount Hua clan, came out and rushed to the west.
“I don’t know who that is, but I won’t…”
Puck!
“Kuak!”
Something unbelievable happened.
The scarlet Plum Sword which flew stabbed the masked man in his chest.
“K-Kwak sir!”
The masked man fell to the floor.
He believed in Kwak Woon and died by his sword.
Kwak Woon’s face was filled with anger and shock.
‘W-who? my Air Sword?’
He didn’t seen see the sword fly in that direction.
And then he heard footsteps.
As if the person didn’t need to hide his presence.
Kwak Woon slowly turned his head.
Step!
Someone walked in the dark shadows of the warehouse with something in his hand.
“Byung-chan!!!!”
It was the head of Bae Byung-chan, one of the members of his troops, dripping in blood.
The head was thrown at Kwak Woon.
Roll!
“You, Youuuu!”
Kwak Woon, who lost his reason at the death of his people, stretched out his hand to grab the sword.
Shhh!
The Scarlet Plum Sword, which was lodged in the masked man"s chest, was pulled out and flew to him, but then it stopped.
Prrr!
“Kuk!”
The stretched-out hand was staggering with veins popping up.
Even though Kwak Woon raised the energy, the sword didn’t come for him.
Chachachang!
And then the sword, which stopped mid-air, shattered.
“Pah!”
Kwak Woon coughed up blood and moved two steps back.
Due to the enormous amount of internal energy he used, he suffered an internal injury.
Who would have thought that one of the Five Great Warriors would be humiliated like this.
“Kuak… you… you b.a.s.t.a.r.d…. Who are you!”
Kwak Woon glared at whoever was hiding in the shadows.
Jump!
And someone appeared from the shadows.
It was Chun Yeowun with his sharp eyes.
‘So young?’
This man looked to be in his twenties, which made Kwak Woon doubt his eyes.
Cun Yeowun spoke with a disappointed face.
“It is pathetic that you were given the t.i.tle of Five Great Warriors.”
“Wh-what?”