* * *
“It’s been a while, Han Raon.”
“…….”
Raon looked up at the man in front of him without a word.
The man, with his jet-black hair covering half his forehead and dark circles under his eyes, exuded an overall tired impression.
His aura was distinctly different from that of his father, Myunghoon.
While Raon somewhat resembled Myunghoon, the man’s two sons did not.
Both took after their mother’s side, making it even more difficult to find common ground with Raon, their half-brother.
Since it was similar to his siblings in his previous life, Raon naturally accepted that Minon didn’t resemble him.
“Yes, it has been a while. Have you been well?”
“Hmm.”
At Raon’s stiff reply, Minon frowned.
Given the murderous atmosphere, it seemed he hadn’t been well.
In fact, Raon had asked precisely because he knew that, feigning ignorance.
“What do you think? Do I look like I’ve been well?”
“Hard to say.”
Giving an ambiguous answer, Raon went and sat down.
Then, he spoke to the employee standing awkwardly.
“Please bring some tea.”
“Ah, yes.”
The employee who had nodded hurriedly left the reception room.
Siwoo sat in the seat next to Raon.
Noticing Siwoo belatedly, Minon frowned.
“I wanted to meet just the two of us.”
“Just say what you have to say. It’s not like he’s the type to go elsewhere and talk about it anyway.”
“Huh.”
Minon clicked his tongue and took a seat opposite Raon.
He shot a crooked gaze towards him.
While he had the most vicious-looking face among the three father and sons, Raon knew him well.
He was a much more reasonable person to talk to than Myunghoon, who would resort to violence and intimidation the moment they met.
Of course, he was still the same trash for holding Nahee hostage.
“Seems your personality has changed a bit. Since when did you become so ill-mannered?”
“I never had any manners to begin with.”
“Haha, you brat.”
Without even touching the tea the employee had quickly set down, Minon let out a hearty laugh.
Meanwhile, he stared at Raon with a menacing gaze, as if he wanted to devour him.
Raon didn’t even bat an eye and gulped down his tea.
After all, with Siwoo by his side, Minon couldn’t lay a hand on him.
“It seems my mother is indebted to you, Hyung.”
“Ah, that’s right.”
When the topic of Nahee came up, Minon finally relaxed, grinning widely as he revealed his teeth.
He seemed to think that just by threatening Raon with Nahee, Raon would tremble in fear like he used to.
“Well, you see, our father is a rather harsh man. Your mother made significant contributions in the past, enough to live off a pension for life without working, but he went and cut even that off. With no means to make a living and no one to help her, shouldn’t I, at the very least, do my duty?”
“Hmm.”
Raon had been wondering about the pension situation, and thanks to Minon spilling the beans so easily, he now knew.
Raon silently cursed Myunghoon internally.
“I see. Thank you for looking after my mother on my behalf.”
“Huh? Well… sure.”
Perhaps because Raon’s reaction was different from what he had expected, Minon couldn’t hide his momentary confusion.
Fretting anxiously over his mother and obediently submitting without even being told was the real Han Raon’s style.
Raon had no intention of being manipulated by Minon.
“But what should I do? I don’t have the ability to repay this kindness.”
“What? What are you talking about?”
“I don’t know what you were expecting by coming here, but I was fired from my position as Guide Team Leader. Word will probably reach your side soon.”
“What did you say?”
A startled Minon jumped up from his spot.
Raon’s current status was at an all-time high within the Center.
No, not just within the Center, but outside as well.
Perhaps because he had suppressed two Irregular gates twice without any casualties, public opinion and interest in him were exploding daily.
Minon had probably intended to use Raon’s status to solidify his own position and get into the good graces of Chairman Han CHanmyung.
For them, it wasn’t a mere prediction but an established fact that the aging chairman would pass the group on to one of his grandsons, not his son Myunghoon.
But to be suddenly fired from the Team Leader position?
It was news like a bolt from the blue.
Minon’s eyes widened considerably.
“What on earth did you do to get fired as Team Leader?”
“There was a bit of an incident.”
“Are you ever capable of doing anything right…! Ugh.”
Minon, seemingly angered mid-sentence, grabbed the back of his neck.
Raon was more familiar with this kind of reaction from the other party, so he just watched without any agitation.
“No matter. I was planning to stop you from entering the next gate anyway since it’s dangerous, so this might actually be for the best. First, form a pair with Team Leader Seo Dojin and…”
When Dojin was mentioned, Siwoo’s eyes sharpened.
Minon flinched momentarily and glanced at Siwoo’s reaction.
Seizing the brief opening, Raon cut in and asked.
“Do you really think that will be enough?”
“What?”
“I know very well what kind of person Team Leader Seo Dojin is, but do you really think that’s enough to even get a foot in the door with the Chairman?”
“Hmm.”
“And do you think the eldest hyung isn’t thinking about what you’re thinking?”
Forming a pair with Seo Dojin and using that connection to build deeper ties with the government and high-ranking officials—that was precisely what the two brothers were aiming for.
In short, they wanted to use their younger brother, Han Raon, to play a game of chicken.
The victorious side would then catch the chairman’s eye and gain everything.
Having seen through this, Raon spoke nonchalantly.
“So, before you reach out…”
“Ah, it seems you aren’t aware, Hyung? The eldest hyung has already been swiftly building connections, even without me forming a pair with Team Leader Seo Dojin.”
“What?”
As if he hadn’t known, Minon’s face contorted.
Watching him, Raon inwardly clicked his tongue.
Objectively speaking, in terms of business acumen and personal connections, the older brother, Juon, was far superior to Minon.
Unlike Minon, who had gone so far as to track down Nahee to pressure Raon directly, Juon had already been independently securing his own connections regardless of Raon.
In that regard, he was definitely more capable than even their father, Myunghoon.
If things continued like this, it was clear Juon would be the one to catch the chairman’s eye.
In that sense, the less capable Minon was the perfect transaction partner for Raon.
“It seems you really didn’t know. I thought you’d be aware of at least that much.”
“How do you know that? Have you been investigating behind the scenes?”
“Investigating? If you just read the newspapers carefully, you’d know everything.”
Of course, it would be hard to know without the information from the novel and his previous regression, but Raon answered firmly.
After all, he had obsessively gathered all sorts of information in secret from the System before his regression, like someone with a fixation.
“Anyway, if things continue like this, it’s obvious the eldest hyung will be the successor. Are you really okay with that?”
“You, just what… Ugh.”
Minon, as if he had a headache, pressed his forehead hard with his finger.
His complexion didn’t look good, perhaps from the stress after Myunghoon was hospitalized.
‘It seems it’s Han Juon, not Han Minon, who’s ensuring Myunghoon remains hospitalized.’
Raon muttered to himself as he watched Minon’s state.
Minon was also scum, but he was no match for Juon.
Moreover, Juon carried out his dirty deeds in a truly meticulous and systematic way.
Dealing with someone like that would be extremely difficult.
“I’m planning to take a short break and have something in mind. If you’re interested, Hyung, I might even let you in on it.”
“What nonsense are you spouting now? Let me in on what?”
“A way to get into the Chairman’s good graces.”
“……!”
Minon’s eyes widened even more.
Then, as if suspicion had stirred within him, his eyes narrowed again—yet even so, he couldn’t hide the hint of keen interest.
“Hmm, well. Shall I hear you out, then?”
In the end, Minon cleared his throat and asked.
Raon looked at him and grinned.
“Soon, a terrorist group harboring grievances against the government will begin their activities. Their targets will mostly be Hanmyung’s logistics centers and key branches.”
“Hanmyung? Why?”
“They’re mainly targeting the largest corporations in the country, and Hanmyung has the most subsidiaries among them.”
“Hmm.”
The terrorist group Raon mentioned—that is, Apophis—hadn’t deliberately singled out Hanmyung.
It was just that, in targeting major establishments, many happened to be affiliated with Hanmyung and its subsidiaries.
But because of that, it became easier to use Minon.
If Minon, a managing director at headquarters, provided him with detailed information about the targeted locations, capturing them would be far smoother than before.
‘Before the regression, Han Raon was too foolish to even think of using Hanmyung’s information network.’
Back then, Han Raon had been too preoccupied with chasing after Seo Dojin to care whether Apophis carried out attacks or not.
But the current Raon had no intention of letting things slide like that again.
“If we manage to capture Apophis’s leadership, the contribution would draw incomparable attention from the chairman—far beyond what you’ve received until now.”
“What? Apophis? That terrorist group is Apophis?”
“Yes.”
Minon’s expression shifted upon hearing this.
Apophis had long been a thorn in the government’s side.
But ability users were already stretched thin just sealing the Gates, and they repeatedly found themselves helpless against Apophis’s unrestrained actions.
Under such circumstances, achieving the feat of capturing Apophis’s leadership would forge significant ties with the government—and gaining his grandfather’s recognition would be well within reach.
In an instant, Minon’s eyes burned with desire.
* * *
Oho our MC is so smart 🤭