Chapter 259

“Damned barbarians! How dare they dig traps?!” They really did swarm in. I observed the two factions of the Black Blade Clan from the third floor and thought to myself. The Black Air Gang and the Red Border Gang. The members of these two factions, caught in the trap, looked up at the Koreans on the upper levels, slowly realizing the situation. “You, with your lowly black hair, don't know your place! How dare you!” “We should finish off these barbarian bastards first!” The members of the Black Blade Clan, brandishing their swords, rushed towards the blocked stairway on the second floor, aiming to cut down the Koreans. Hold on. If you go any further, you’ll be out of the ring. Your battlefield is on the first floor, not here. Watching the Black Blade members trying to climb to the second floor, I raised my hand towards the Koreans. “Argh!” “The barbarian bastards are throwing stones!” We've seized the high ground. This is the traditional way Koreans live in a foreign land. We call it "Lou Buda" – the Korean way. Even third-rate martial artists can't withstand a barrage of stones thrown from above. “You scoundrels! Do you think you’ll get away with this?” Yes, we will. The Koreans gathered in the guesthouse silently mocked the Black Blade members who were gnashing their teeth. The standoff between the Koreans, the Black Air Gang, and the Red Border Gang continued for a while. I've set the stage for them to fight, but given that they believe they're trapped, they probably won't start fighting recklessly. But there's a way to make them fight. I used my technique "Sound Transmission to the Mind" and continued my commentary, ensuring it resonated throughout the guesthouse. “It seems our participants are feeling shy! We’ll take a brief moment to introduce them! The Red Border Gang! Recently, in an effort to diminish the Black Air Gang’s power, they drowned the Black Air Gang leader’s younger brother by pushing him into the river after getting him drunk!” The quiet stream only needs a stone thrown into it to cause a ripple. “What?!” “How did he know?!” How did I know? The area is crawling with Koreans. “You scoundrel!!!” The leader of the Black Air Gang, with a furious and murderous look, gripped his sword tightly. One side getting angry isn’t enough. I need to introduce the other side quickly. “On the other side, we have the Black Air Gang! Recently, the leader here encountered the Red Border Gang leader’s nephew and cousin at this very guesthouse, and ordered his subordinates to pick a fight and kill them all!” Both the two Korean staff working at the guesthouse and the Korean customers were killed in the chaos. “You bastard! How dare you lie about my nephew starting the fight!” “It doesn’t matter who started it, the weak always perish!” Anger blinds judgment. Eventually, both factions pointed their blades at each other. “Stop! This is the barbarians’ trap!” Trap? That’s a harsh word. I merely set the stage. As one of the Black Blade members earnestly shouted, the two faction leaders looked at us briefly, showing their conflict on their faces. Looks like I’ll need to throw more than stones. Time for the bomb. “Additional information! The Black Air Gang leader planned an attack on the Red Border Gang leader’s elderly mother’s residence today! He instructed his men to kill her if he didn’t return by a specified time!” “What?!” Great reaction. With my words, the distressed shout of the Red Border Gang leader echoed. “For the record, the hiding place is a warehouse commonly used by the Black Air Gang! If not handled quickly, today will be the Red Border leader's mother’s death anniversary!” The Black Air Gang probably didn’t actually go as they brought their full forces here, but the intent behind such action is what matters. “Today, in this guesthouse, I’ll sever your thread of life.” “I’ll kill you all and then the barbarian bastards as well!” Finally, the two Black Blade faction leaders made up their minds. “Attack!!!!” “Aagh! My arm!” “If you can’t stab his neck, go for the limbs!” “Oooooooooh.” “Right from the start, the Black Air Gang shows off their sharp attacks! True to their sneaky nature, two are ganging up on one!” Watching the 30 people fight from above was quite a spectacle. In a tone fitting for a commentator at a grand battle, I joyfully continued my commentary, highlighting key points. “Someone go quickly and help out!” “Meanwhile, someone from the Red Border Gang is prepping to throw a concealed weapon!” “Why the hell is that bastard announcing everything?!” You all have to destroy each other. “Is it complacency? One from the Red Border Gang is sneaking behind a Black Air Gang member, ready to stab with a dagger!” “Dodge!!!” “Who the hell is that bastard shouting from above?!” That would be the new president of the Korean Association. My name is Kang Yunho. Both factions had roughly 10 to 20 members each; only their leaders were at the second-rate level at best. Like a conductor on the battlefield, I guided them to mutual destruction under the guise of commentary. “Now it’s down to 10 from the Red Border Gang versus 8 from the Black Air Gang! They’re staring each other down again! Usually, one side would retreat, but the exits are blocked! Time is against them! Today could be the death anniversary of the Red Border Gang leader’s mother!” “Argh!” “Damn it!” Both sides moaned in anguish. In contrast, the Koreans on the upper floors were in a festive mood. “Is that all you’ve got?! I bet on 8 from the Red Border Gang and 6 from the Black Air Gang in the first attack.” “Yes! I won!” “You won? Treat me to lunch later.” “Talk after you pay off your debt!” “Grilled squid! Peanuts available!” “Bring some grilled squid here!” “Aren’t you buying peanuts?” “I’m allergic to peanuts...” “We also have spicy chicken skewers! How about it?” “I can’t handle spicy food...” There’s nothing more entertaining than watching a fight or a fire. The Koreans, enjoying the brawl among the Black Blade Clans who usually oppressed them, boosted the guesthouse’s sales. “Finally, it’s down to one-on-one! As expected, only the leaders are left!” Before I knew it, the ground floor was littered with bodies and injured people, leaving just the two leaders. “Guh!” Is it finally ending? The blade of the Red Border Gang leader, who had the upper hand, cut the arm of the Black Air Gang leader, causing him to drop his sword with a desperate face. A little disappointing. This leaves the Red Border leader in too good a state. “To lose his sword! The Black Air Gang leader is in a dire situation! Will he be able to find any divine weapons around him?!” Fight a little longer. I’ve got a special surprise ready. “Divine weapon? Could it be this?” "Yes, that one." The Black Air Gang leader lifted the object with a surprised look, having paid no attention to it until now. The Koreans, sensing the unfolding drama, shouted as they watched the object he raised. "He picked it up! The metal chair!" The so-called divine weapon was none other than a metal chair. “In the martial world, there's a saying that you need a hundred days for a spear, a thousand for a saber, and ten thousand for a sword! It implies that it takes at least that much time to master each weapon! But the weapon in the Black Air Gang leader’s hands is a metal chair!” The Black Air Gang leader blocked the incoming strike from the Red Border Gang leader’s sword with the metal chair. “The metal chair stopped the sword!” “Look at that flawless offense and defense! You can sit on it, use it to attack and defend effortlessly – a true weapon for all ages! It’s the king of universal weapons!” “The king of all weapons, the metal chair!” As the sword got stuck in the metal chair, the Red Border Gang leader panicked. The Black Air Gang leader seized the opportunity. “Die! Die! Diiiieeee!” With all his might, the Black Air Gang leader swung the metal chair down onto the head of the Red Border Gang leader. Neck snapping – a fatal blow. The one to fall was the Red Border Gang leader. “I’ll kill all you damned barbarians!!!” The first floor, filled with bodies and injured people, echoed with the enraged scream from the Black Air Gang leader, who had now become the sole survivor. He will probably regroup his forces and never forget what happened today, continuing to oppress the Koreans. But that's only if you end up being the final victor. “Hm.” The kitchen door on the first floor opened, and a man walked out leisurely towards the Black Air Gang leader. “Who the hell are you?!” “What’s with this ruckus in the guesthouse protected by the West River Escort Agency?” “What? … Ugh!” The sword of the escort was swifter than any other martial artists' swords seen today. “Indeed, the finish to a guesthouse brawl is the sudden appearance of a master who ends the situation. Please give a round of applause to the ultimate victor, the escort from the West River Escort Agency.” “Wooohooooooo!” Did you think I’d let future problems fester? ------------------ “Chief Kang Yunho!” I wondered when they would arrive. Once we had dealt with the Black Blade members in the guesthouse, the three Choi brothers, Ilgu, Igu, and Samgu, approached me with grateful faces. “Instead of making grateful faces, take this.” With a nonchalant face, I handed a small box to the Samgu brothers. “A pigeon?” “It’s a homing pigeon. Use it to contact me if needed. And make sure to introduce Korean laborers to the docks where those Black Blade bastards used to operate.” “Us?” “You Koreans need to stick together. If you run it without skimming off too much profit like those Black Blade scums, it’ll benefit both you and other Koreans.” Though it’s a small-scale venture, it provided enough profit that the two Black Blade factions were willing to risk their lives fighting over it. Instead of handing it to someone else, it was better to have the Samgu brothers, who knew martial arts, manage it. “That you would give us such a position…” The Samgu brothers looked at me with faces expressing they couldn’t be more respectful. “I will also make sure that all the unloading of goods coming via the West River Escort Agency will be given to you. Isn’t that right, Chief?” I confirmed this again with the escort chief from the West River Escort Agency’s Infinite Branch standing beside me. “No reason to refuse such a deal offered at a low price.” The escort chief nodded with a smile. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement: the West River Escort Agency could employ laborers cheaply, and the Koreans were guaranteed a steady income. “You are giving us work as well! How much of a kickback should we give you?” Maybe from mingling with the Black Blade guys, they were quick to think of such things. “You think I'd take a beggar's penny? Do I look that desperate?” I laughed, feeling like an uncle who finds the allowance his nephew gave him amusing. But don't get me wrong; just because I say this, it doesn’t mean I'm immediately agreeing. “No, but you are giving us a job….” Yes, now you should refuse once. “If you feel guilty, don’t give it to me, but set it aside as a membership fee for the compatriot association. That way, we can help other Koreans who are struggling.” I played the part of a noble person unbothered by small money, raising my voice with my "Sound Transmission to the Mind" technique. Everyone in the guesthouse can hear this, right? I subtly showcased the true face of a Korean compatriot association leader. The Samgu brothers, looking overwhelmed with emotion, shook their faces in disbelief and then, as if on cue, knelt. “…Chief. We will serve with utmost loyalty!” “Chief! We will do our best!” “We will never forget this grace! Please accept our bow!” The three brothers prostrated themselves, pledging their loyalty as if serving a grand elder of their family. “Keep working hard, and you’ll find yourself in bigger roles in the future.” Though the three brothers might not have noticed, all eyes in the guesthouse were on me. Anticipation, heartfelt emotion, and reverence for the new leader. I was satisfied with the staged scene and patted their shoulders. ------------ “Are you serious about turning the guesthouse into a gladiatorial arena for business?” As I was quietly observing the Koreans cleaning up downstairs, Im Hayeon approached cautiously. “Why, does it seem unfeasible?” “It’s an interesting idea to gather people by making martial artists fight, but not many martial artists would want to be part of the spectacle.” She’s right. Martial artists are corpses if you take away their pride. Even the hired ronin wouldn’t want to fight as a spectacle; they’d want to fight for honor or pride, not to be public entertainment. To properly run a gladiatorial ring, you’d have to pay them an amount too great to refuse. “I have no intention of pursuing it. This was a one-time thing for the Korean compatriot association.” Running a gladiatorial ring has numerous difficulties. I laughed softly and shook my head. “For the Korean compatriot association?” Im Hayeon tilted her head, looking puzzled. “Both those Black Blade scums were notorious among the Koreans. The number of Koreans who died at their hands is countless, not to mention those beaten to the point of disability or those who can't even move anymore.” “Was it a revenge for the Koreans?” “I’d rather it be seen as an inaugural ceremony for the new association leader.” "Are Koreans being oppressed?" I didn't kick in righteous fury, telling the world never to underestimate the land that produces internationally acclaimed K-dramas, K-pop, football legends like those playing for Manchester United, Tottenham, and Napoli, and proud gamers and e-sports stars for nothing but revenge. There was a deeper reason. "An inauguration ceremony?" "People's psychology changes when they can look down from a higher place. Even just watching the ones who used to oppress and instill fear fighting among themselves can give a sense of participating in revenge. Moreover, watching the whole scene unfold orchestrated by one man, they can have his power imprinted in their minds." First, I needed to make sure they knew the power of the leader. For that, revenge had to be thorough. Even though some people were too astonished to realize what was happening, those Koreans who had been victimized by the two Black Blade factions couldn't tear their eyes away from the spectacle. Some were even shedding tears. "You, as the leader?" "Yes. Instead of saying I am the leader a hundred times, this one event made my existence tangible. Now, they know we have a leader. A reliable one. Someone they can seek help from. For that, they need to follow orders. They will feel a mix of reverence and fear." Being the president of the Korean Compatriot Association isn’t actually a high position. It’s similar to being a president of an apartment building committee or a project group leader. There's a reason Chairman Ahn nodded when he told me to take the role of the president. I didn’t decide to become the president without a plan. I am in Infinite without any connections. I stand at a crossroads, either becoming a lifelong debtor or obtaining wings to soar into the world. I can't leave such an important challenge to luck or a coin toss. I must succeed. For that, I need people who can act as my hands and feet. “Indeed, the way Koreans view you has changed.” “Today's event will spread as a rumor among all Koreans in Infinite who weren't present. Now, when the president summons them, no Korean will easily refuse me.” I leaned against the railing and looked down. On the first floor, Koreans were diligently cleaning up, frequently glancing at me despite not being ordered to. They knew too. They knew that being on my good side could bring them benefits like the Samgu brothers. “You're really…” Im Ha-yeon looked at me in awe, speechless. “Now, I plan to start a serious business.” “If it's not the gladiatorial arena, are you planning to set up an employment agency for Koreans at the docks?” Managing labor at the docks is good. It would be quite profitable. But I didn't go through all this trouble just for that. Seeing the concern in Im Ha-yeon's eyes, I smiled reassuringly and spoke. “I’m planning something even bigger.” Now that I've got my men, I need to start a business far grander than a gladiatorial arena.