The Cursed Blacksmith Who Regressed - Chapter 9

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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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Episode 9

Buzz—

His phone rings.

A text from an unknown number.

It was a message with a specific location written on it.

Choi Hyun took a taxi and headed to the location that was sent.

The place he arrived at was a Taesong Group-owned hotel.

Upon arriving at the hotel, a staff member guided him to a private room in the lounge, and other employees conducted a body search of Choi Hyun in front of the door.

Only after confiscating his phone did they open the door for him.

He obediently handed over his phone.

Nothing would change just because he didn’t have a mere phone.

When he opened the door, there was already a guest inside.

It was Han Yeong-min.

He had arrived first and was eating a full meal of kimchi stew, and as soon as he saw Choi Hyun, he put down his spoon and raised his opposite hand to greet Choi Hyun.

“Oh, here. Come sit over here.”

Choi Hyun silently went and sat across from him.

However, even though Choi Hyun had arrived, Han Yeong-min didn’t stop eating. Instead, he lifted the pot and drank all the kimchi stew broth before setting it down somewhat roughly.

“Ah, I feel alive. I was starving myself for detox and got so hungry.”

Then he picked up a toothpick and hand mirror that were prepared nearby and spoke while picking his teeth.

“Choi Hyun, twenty years old, orphan, recently took out an awakener loan and got a perfect score on the first written exam as a first-time hunter exam taker. Right?”

“Han Yeong-min, thirty-two years old, third among the four siblings of Taesong Group. Currently competing for succession with the first and second, and the fourth gave up on the competition. But the fourth gave up on the competition because you held their weakness and turned them into an idiot, right?”

“Well, well, what are you?”

“Why? You spoke like that, so I just returned the favor.”

Han Yeong-min’s leisurely expression instantly turned menacing.

“Interesting. What do you want?”

“Nothing much, I just wanted to meet and give you a direct warning not to think about running off with my money.”

“Ha, really. Kid, do you think we’d close shop because we don’t have a measly 10 billion?”

“If it were just 10 billion, Taesong could easily make that. But that’s Taesong’s money, not yours as the fourth heir, right? It’s not just a small amount, and how would you manage to prepare such a large sum without strings attached right now?”

“What? Hahahahahaha!”

At Choi Hyun’s provocation, Han Yeong-min put down what he was picking with and laughed heartily.

Then he looked straight at Choi Hyun with a roughness that was hard to believe from a chaebol family’s child.

“Hey, you keep acting cocky, but aren’t you scared of me? I’m Han Yeong-min.”

“Why should I be scared of you? You have no abilities whatsoever except for your family background.”

“Wow… This bastard really doesn’t know how scary the world is and keeps running his mouth. Hey, you’ll really die without a trace if you keep that up.”

“Me? Or you?”

Choi Hyun grins and looks at Han Yeong-min.

Han Yeong-min stared at Choi Hyun for a while, then lifted his chin and leaned back against his chair.

‘What the hell is this guy?’

He had people investigate his background, but no matter how they looked, there was no identifiable backing.

Yet the guy was incredibly confident.

What was the basis for that confidence?

Bluffing?

It couldn’t be.

The source of the suddenly appearing billion was too suspicious for that.

Choi Hyun spoke.

“And who said 10 billion?”

“What?”

“Don’t you know the hunter exam is divided into first and second rounds? I still have to take the second practical exam. And then I’ll bet everything on myself again. How many times will that 10 billion multiply?”

“Haha, look at this bastard?”

“Does it sound like a joke? Close the site if you want to close it. Then I’ll immediately call reporters and spill everything.”

“…”

Han Yeong-min narrows his eyes.

This bastard.

He’s more solid than expected.

He wanted to just kill him, but since he still didn’t know the backing, he couldn’t say anything.

Choi Hyun raised the corner of his mouth.

“How about it, give me a chance?”

“A chance?”

“Don’t involve toto or anything, let’s have a proper bet between us. I’ll bet my 10 billion on getting first place overall in this exam. In return, you apply the original odds of 10 times and bet 100 billion. If you win, you take my 10 billion and I’ll keep the promise of confidentiality, but if I win, then you pay up without complaint. How about it?”

Han Yeong-min looked at Choi Hyun for a while, then let out a hollow laugh.

“Do you think I’d accept such a proposal?”

“You have to.”

“What?”

“Get your head straight. This is the last chance I’m giving you. By the way, 10 times odds is cheap, think carefully. Since I got first place in the written exam, probably during this practical exam, even if I don’t register myself, other people will put my name up. Additionally, a lot of money will gather on me. Because of that, the odds might get a bit lower, but still, if I win, you’ll have to pay out double the money, won’t you?”

Choi Hyun continued with a smile.

“And you’re going to use people to mess with me during the practical anyway. It’s obvious without even looking. That’s the kind of person you are. But I’ll let that slide. Use people if you want to. Instead, remove my name from this toto and let’s settle it just between us two. Otherwise, I’ll also release other people to bet on me? Can you handle the amount then? I’m not going to release just a small sum. And if you run off with the money, you’ll lose the site’s credibility instantly, and then the industry’s second place will immediately move in. Would that really be okay?”

Truly the devil’s whisper.

But every word was correct.

In reality, Totonaras, the industry’s second place, was waiting for Totoland’s downfall.

Therefore, Han Yeong-min had no way to refuse that proposal.

Han Yeong-min was the person with the greatest desire for the successor position among Taesong’s four heirs, maintaining his position by doing all sorts of dirty work that others wouldn’t do.

‘Without father knowing, that is.’

But what if father found out about these facts?

Then it would really become irreversible.

Because the current chairman of Taesong was someone who staked his life on managing the group’s image, and for good reason since Taesong Group’s founder was a very famous pro-Japanese collaborator.

‘Not just famous, but a named figure who would be listed in the pro-Japanese biographical dictionary.’

Taesong had been quietly lying low for a very long time to escape that image, and additionally, Taesong’s chairman also had that as a complex and extremely hated being pointed at socially.

‘But if Han Yeong-min were to tarnish the group’s face, then Han Yeong-min would really be finished.’

Han Yeong-min knew this fact well, so he couldn’t help but frown.

After a long deliberation, Han Yeong-min spoke.

“Fine. Let’s say I accept your proposal. But how can I trust you? Frankly speaking, even if you lose and keep running your mouth afterward, only I would be at a loss.”

“I’m not like you. Frankly speaking, with legally notarized documents, how could I run my mouth around being scared of a major corporation lawsuit?”

“Bullshit, in the end both conditions are unfavorable to me, aren’t they?”

“The world is originally unfair. If you want, just kill me later. You’re good at that kind of thing.”

“The bastard is making a decent person into an attempted murderer. And are you joking? Do you think the life of an orphan bastard and the position of a chaebol heir have the same value?”

“If you become the heir, the value would be different. But you’re not the heir, are you? You’re competing. And if you’re scared, just forget it. If you can’t trust it, you can cut my throat right now, so why are you talking so much?”

“Ha! Hahahahahaha!!”

At Choi Hyun’s unrestrained words, Han Yeong-min finally burst into angry laughter.

The blood vessels on his forehead looked like they would burst at any moment.

“Fine. Let’s do it that way. But be prepared. If you break the promise and even slightly damage what I hold, you’ll see hell from that moment on.”

“You seem to have a lot of experience doing that? Then since the owner’s permission has been granted, let’s call a lawyer right away.”

“Ha, I, this fucking bastard really…”

Han Yeong-min makes a phone call somewhere.

Then, not long after, a middle-aged lawyer appeared hurriedly carrying a laptop and immediately began drafting documents.

Choi Hyun nodded and signed after seeing the contents of the completed document.

Eventually, after finishing the notarization process, the two people each received their copies of the documents.

Choi Hyun put the document in his jacket, then took out something else instead of the document he had put in and placed it on the table.

And immediately stood up from his seat.

“Well then, good work.”

After Choi Hyun left the room, Han Yeong-min checked what Choi Hyun had left behind.

What he left behind was a business card.

But when Han Yeong-min saw the owner of the business card, his expression crumpled endlessly.

And for good reason—the business card belonged to Daesan Guild’s representative, Jang Hae-hyeon.

“What the fuck, what kind of situation is this now?”

Why is this guy suddenly showing up?

But the fact that a mere twenty-year-old awakener had Daesan Guild representative’s business card meant something all too clear.

‘Is all of this really Jang Hae-hyeon’s order?’

But why is this guy, who I never had any dealings with, suddenly doing this to me?

He wanted to go find Jang Hae-hyeon right away, but unfortunately, Daesan Group had far more power than Taesong Group.

Unable to do anything, Han Yeong-min crumpled his business card and vented his anger.

‘Damn it, what the hell is going on here?’

Han Yeong-min crosses his arms and thinks for a long while.

At times like this, he needed to stay calm.

Acting like a thug was third-rate.

While Han Yeong-min’s language was indeed close to thuggish, if he were purely a thug, how could he compete on the same level as his brothers?

He was a man with colder blood than one might think.

However, no sharp solution came to mind immediately, so he soon took out his phone and called someone.

“Hey, it’s me. Let’s put some mercenaries in this practical exam. As many as possible without making it obvious.”

Having come to this, Han Yeong-min decided to take the direct approach.

After all, he just needed to make sure that guy didn’t come in first.

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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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