The Chairman of Pharmaceutical Company is a Poison King - Chapter 41

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 41: I Know Everything, So Get Lost!

In fact, it was practically a failed operation.

Fortunately, there were no casualties, but there were quite a few injured.

The SS Team planned to regroup with the main force later for reorganization.

Tae-ju was having a conversation with Colonel Gu Jun-yeong about the cause of the failure.

Suddenly.

“Excuse me… this.”

A young man wearing lieutenant rank insignia approached Tae-ju and held out something with both hands.

It was a willow leaf throwing knife.

“Ah! Thank you.”

Tae-ju received the throwing knife.

However, the young lieutenant was staring at him blankly as if he had something to say.

“Do you perhaps have some business?”

“Oh, no. I wanted to greet you… Nice to meet you for the first time. I’m Lieutenant Ryu Jin-cheol.”

“Yes, I’m Kim Tae-ju from Taehong Bio.”

“Thank you. Chairman, you’re my life’s savior.”

“Not at all.”

While returning the greeting, Tae-ju glanced at Gu Jun-yeong.

‘This is strange.’

A mere lieutenant coming to greet someone while they’re talking with a division commander?

And not even saluting the division commander?

Unless he was a crazy lieutenant…

But Colonel Gu Jun-yeong seemed to accept it very naturally.

‘Could it be?’

He remembered hearing it in the final briefing for the subjugation operation.

That the Sancheong Unit was assigned to take care of an imperial VIP.

‘Ryu Jin-cheol.’

The imperial family’s surname is Ryu.

Then?

“Are you a prince?”

“Huh? How did you know… was it obvious?”

“Of course it was obvious. The division commander is right next to you, but there’s no salute or stating of rank and name.”

“Ah!”

Ryu Jin-cheol scratched his head sheepishly.

“Anyway, thank you. You saved my life.”

“Not at all. I saw that Your Highness fought well too.”

Then Prince Ryu Jin-cheol got all excited and started talking non-stop.

Like a dam had burst.

“But how could anyone compare to you, Tae-ju? How do all your thrown weapons hit their mark… Is that also a skill? Oh right! You haven’t awakened yet. You’re truly amazing. If you have time, could you perhaps teach me…”

The prince’s personality seemed fine.

He didn’t put on airs either.

“Is the coat made from phantom fox leather? Then do you carry weapons inside the coat? It must be quite heavy… Wow! There are so many pockets attached.”

However, he talked a lot.

Enough to be bothersome to answer everything.

“Will you only sell recovery potions in Gurye? It would be good if you expanded to New Seoul. I could help you. Except for illegal or unlawful things. Oh right! Do you know about the Leaders Club? I’m a member there…”

Tae-ju looked at Gu Jun-yeong with pleading eyes for help.

But Gu Jun-yeong just shook his head.

Sigh, this guy!

When did he say thank you again?

That’s when it happened.

“Is everyone okay? Anyone injured?”

Corps Commander Oh Jin-hyeong, who had belatedly followed Tae-ju.

“Demon Slayer! All clear, sir!”

Gu Jun-yeong saluted and answered.

“Really? That’s a relief.”

This was the opportunity.

Tae-ju took out his smartphone, checked the time, and spoke in a surprised voice.

“Huh? It’s already this time…”

“What’s wrong? Is there a problem?”

“No. It’s time to get off work.”

“…”

Tae-ju picked up the bag that Gu Jun-yeong’s subordinate had prepared for him.

Inside were the collected throwing knives, Elite Steel-Feathered Owl feathers, and elite mana crystals.

“Well then, I’ll be going… I’ll come back tomorrow at dawn.”

Pop!

Tae-ju disappeared.

What’s good about being a civilian?

You can get off work when it’s time.

Oh Jin-hyeong had to watch his retreating figure again.

And then.

“Are you alright, Your Highness?”

“Yes, Lieutenant General. It would have been terrible without Chairman Kim Tae-ju.”

“That’s fortunate. Always be careful, and careful again. If anything happens to your royal body, I won’t have the face to meet His Majesty the Emperor.”

Then Oh Jin-hyeong turned his head to Colonel Gu Jun-yeong.

“Jun-yeong.”

“Yes, Lieutenant General.”

“I heard on the way here. Two elite masu appeared simultaneously?”

“That’s right. If Chairman Kim Tae-ju hadn’t helped…”

“Enough. Just write a report, detailing why this situation occurred. And include prevention measures too.”

“Yes, understood.”

That aside.

“Really no casualties? The number of orcs seemed considerable too.”

“There are injured. But even they’re fine after taking recovery potions.”

“I see.”

Oh Jin-hyeong nodded.

The skill to hunt elite masu alone, unbelievable mobility to rush wherever crisis strikes, and the antidotes and recovery potions he made.

What would have happened if Chairman Kim Tae-ju hadn’t participated in the subjugation operation?

After thinking about something for a long time, Prince Ryu Jin-cheol spoke to Oh Jin-hyeong.

“Corps Commander, I have a request.”

“Please speak.”

“From now on, couldn’t I join the SG Team, your team, Corps Commander?”

Oh Jin-hyeong slowly turned his head and stared intently at the prince.

He understood the reason, but absolutely not.

“Absolutely not. I was actually about to ask you this, but please return to the Imperial Palace now.”

“What? That’s… I won’t cause any trouble. I’ll be helpful too.”

“As the unit’s supreme commander, this is an order to Lieutenant Ryu Jin-cheol.”

“Uh…”

Oh Jin-hyeong firmly put his foot down. And then.

“Colonel Gu Jun-yeong.”

“Yes!”

“Form an escort and safely escort His Highness to Military Headquarters.”

“Understood.”

If the prince gets hurt, many people will suffer.

What if an unspeakable tragedy occurs?

Just imagining it is horrifying.

What good would it do if the Jirisan masu subjugation operation succeeds?

We’d all die together.

* * *

After finishing work in the Jirisan Wilderness, Tae-ju didn’t go straight home.

Honestly, he couldn’t wait.

He rushed to Gurye Comprehensive Market, which still had its lights on.

“Chairman! At this late hour…”

“Good evening.”

“Chairman! Please visit our store too. For you, it’s definitely half price.”

“Making a big deal about half price… Our restaurant is free for life!”

Store owners came rushing out in droves, each trying to greet him.

It was more because of the coat Tae-ju was wearing than his face being well-known.

That’s why they could recognize him at a glance even from far away.

Why do the market merchants welcome him so warmly?

Because the economic impact Tae-ju creates for Gurye is tremendous.

Taehong Bio’s three new drug lines could only be purchased in Gurye.

Even now, countless Adapters and Awakeners were visiting Gurye to buy those medicines.

Staying overnight for the opening run was commonplace. From lodging to dining, entertainment, and even market economy revitalization.

To the merchants, Tae-ju was like a benefactor.

That’s why he received a welcoming reception every time he visited the market.

To an embarrassing degree.

Tae-ju’s destination was the Metal Weapon Workshop District.

When he appeared, a workshop employee came running out with delight.

“Good evening.”

“Chairman! You’ve come again. I was just about to contact you.”

“Ah! I suppose you’ve finished everything I ordered before?”

“Yes, you don’t even need to come here personally. We’ll have our staff deliver it to you.”

“No, I’ll take it myself.”

The workshop sales that Tae-ju alone generates amount to hundreds of millions of won per month.

Naturally, he had to receive the utmost treatment.

“I have something to commission.”

“Please tell us anything. We always process Chairman’s requests with top priority.”

“I want to make weapons with this…”

Tae-ju placed the bag he brought onto the workshop’s workbench.

Clatter.

“Oh! Owl feathers. Since it’s metal material imbued with mana, if we alloy it with regular steel… Huh?”

The workshop employee’s eyes suddenly widened.

“Th-this isn’t just ordinary owl feathers… Hmm, could it be?”

“That’s right. Elite Steel-Feathered Owl.”

“What!”

The employee was startled.

Elite feathers when even regular owl feathers are precious.

“Really?”

“Here are Elite Mana Crystals too.”

“…Good heavens!”

“I want to make several throwing knives with this…”

“W-wait a moment!”

The workshop employee waved his hands and said.

“This isn’t a commission I can handle at my level. Please wait just a moment. I’ll bring the boss.”

Then he went inside the workshop.

Shortly after, the workshop owner and master craftsman of the highest grade came running out breathlessly.

“Elite Steel-Feathered Owl feathers came in? Who’s lying to whom here…”

“I’m telling you it’s real.”

And his eyes met with Tae-ju’s.

“…Oh my! It was you, Chairman. I thought someone was trying to scam us.”

“Please check. There are Elite Mana Crystals here too.”

“Gasp! Th-three of them?”

“I was lucky enough to obtain them. You can handle the crafting commission, right?”

“Of course, absolutely. You’ve come to the right place. I don’t mean to boast, but at least in Gurye, there’s no craftsman other than me who can handle Elite steel feathers.”

Tae-ju knows this too.

He’s quite a skilled craftsman.

That’s why he’s continued doing business with this workshop.

“I want to make throwing knives like the ones you made before… about 30 small ones and 10 large ones?”

“Ah! Yes, yes, understood. Let me see…”

After examining them for a while.

“It looks like we might be able to make a bit more.”

“Then please increase the number of small ones. I’ll pay generously for the labor.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that. You’ve brought all the materials yourself.”

“No. I need to pay what I should pay to feel comfortable.”

“Well then, I’ll put my heart and soul into making them.”

“By when?”

“I can’t give you a definite answer. If I rush to meet a deadline, I might waste these precious materials.”

Good.

That makes me trust him more.

“Understood. Take your time.”

First, the hidden weapons he uses most often.

Now all that’s left is waiting.

Tae-ju didn’t go home.

He stopped by an agricultural seed store in the market.

“Did you get what I asked for?”

“Here… This isn’t something we sell to just anyone. We’re giving it to you because you’re the Chairman.”

“Haha, don’t worry. I’m not planning to do anything bad with this.”

After collecting potassium cyanide and several other pesticides, Tae-ju returned home.

Let’s rest well at home.

* * *

Division Commander Gu Jun-yeong of the Sancheong Division’s report was delivered to each unit.

The main points were problems and countermeasures when dealing with Elite Steel-Feathered Owls.

Actually, there weren’t any particularly special solutions.

To kill the owl, they had to neutralize the feathers covered with aura protective barriers.

There were only two methods.

Either have multiple Masters charge at once, or use Hyper Divine Bow anti-tank missiles as usual.

So there were also two solutions.

When an Elite Steel-Feathered Owl appears, launch coordinated attacks through close cooperation between Special Raid Teams.

The other is that if they’re forced to use Hyper Divine Bow missiles, they should radio the main force beforehand to regroup and hunt with reinforced troops.

That evening.

Hamyang Division Main Camp.

Lieutenant Do Min-su briefed the soon-to-be-commissioned cadets about today’s incident during roll call.

“…So while Colonel Gu Jun-yeong was wrestling with the owl, the aftermath of the missile explosion caused a large orc horde and an Elite Orc Chieftain to appear.”

The cadets listened intently with bright, focused eyes.

One raised their hand and asked a question.

“H-how many casualties were there? With two elite magical beasts, the damage must have been enormous.”

“Fortunately, there were no deaths.”

“What? How is that possible?”

Do Min-su smiled and continued.

“Commander Oh Jin-hyeong of the Gurye Special Raid Team joined us just in time.”

“Ah!”

“Oh!”

“I see.”

Exclamations erupted from here and there.

“And you know the Taehong recovery potion, right? That also played a part in healing the severely injured.”

Suddenly, one cadet raised their hand quickly.

“Cadet Jeong Yeon-hee, I have a question.”

“Go ahead.”

“Did Chairman Kim Tae-ju also join by any chance?”

“…What?”

Do Min-su was startled.

Kim Tae-ju’s participation.

It wasn’t a secret, but he had never mentioned it.

“Cadet Jeong Yeon-hee!”

“Yes.”

“How do you know about Chairman Kim Tae-ju?”

“…I heard it at home. That he’s not just someone who makes antidotes.”

Most of the cadets came from well-off families.

‘These damn silver spoon kids…’

They would be collecting all sorts of information floating around the Samhan Empire.

“Also, the ones who actually eliminated the three demons that appeared in Gurye weren’t the Self-Defense Corps, but Kim Tae…”

“Stop! That’s enough.”

Still seeming reluctant to give up, Jeong Yeon-hee asked once more.

“Will we have a chance to meet Chairman Kim Tae-ju during our operation?”

“Do you want to meet him?”

“Yes! I really want to see him!”

Do Min-su chuckled and said.

“There’s no possibility of that, so don’t even hope for it.”

“…What about after the subjugation operation ends?”

“Tsk, Cadet Jeong Yeon-hee.”

“Yes!”

“The Chairman isn’t someone you can meet casually. So wake up from that dream.”

“….”

“That’s all, roll call dismissed! Tomorrow we move camps. We’ll be hunting from a new position, so prepare in advance.”

“Yes, understood!”

Even after roll call ended, cadets gathered in small groups to chat with each other.

Of course, Kim Tae-pyeong and Kim Tae-cheon couldn’t join the conversations.

They were just shocked by the facts they were hearing for the first time.

They knew Kim Tae-ju had invented the antidote.

They also knew he had started a company and made big money.

But strong enough to face elite magical beasts?

He even seemed to be involved in eliminating demons.

They had been together for many years.

They knew Kim Tae-ju better than anyone.

“Taepyeong, do you think what Do Min-su said is true?”

“I don’t know either. It’s hard to believe.”

“Right? It doesn’t make sense. How could that mana-rejecting bastard?”

“He must have pulled some trick. That guy has a lot of money. So he probably made a deal with the commander.”

“A deal?”

“Merit for the Jirisan magical beast subjugation operation? Maybe he wants to get a medal or something.”

“Aha! Right. That’s believable. That bastard is now greedy for honor too.”

Even if it were true, they didn’t want to believe it.

The fact that Kim Tae-ju had defeated elite magical beasts that they couldn’t even dream of facing.

As if remembering something, Kim Tae-pyeong quietly stood up.

“Where are you going, hyung?”

“Bathroom. Go to sleep first.”

However, Kim Tae-pyeong walked in the opposite direction, not toward the bathroom.

He spotted Jeong Yeon-hee coming out after washing her face at the portable sink.

And.

“Um, you know.”

“What?”

Jeong Yeon-hee responded coldly to Kim Tae-pyeong’s words.

“Well… about Chairman Kim Tae-ju. I was trying not to reveal it, but he’s actually my older brother. Half-brother.”

“So what?”

“Huh? Oh, no, I remembered you said you wanted to meet him earlier. I thought I could help you…”

“Ha!”

Jeong Yeon-hee snorted.

“You don’t actually think I didn’t know that, do you?”

“Oh, you knew?”

“Of course I knew. How did you even get into the Military Academy with that brain? Well, I guess I know—it’s because of your Japanese mother’s connections from Kyushu domain.”

Kim Tae-pyeong flared up when his mother was mentioned.

“What? Japanese? It’s been ages since we unified into the Samhan Empire! That’s discriminatory language! Take it back right now.”

“How dare you raise your voice at me? Do you want to die?”

Kim Tae-pyeong flinched.

Jeong Yeon-hee was more than two levels stronger than him.

“Every single cadet here knows about your family situation. How you and your mother treated Chairman Kim Tae-ju, and that you’re currently estranged from him.”

“…What?”

“And you should give up on commissioning into the Central Imperial Army. The rumors have already spread, so the only units you two brothers can join are regional armies—Paju or Kyushu at best.”

“….”

“So get lost! Stop being clingy. Just seeing your face is unlucky.”

Kim Tae-pyeong couldn’t say anything in response.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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