Descent of the Demon Master
Chapter 1147. Recommending (2)

Chapter 1147. Recommending (2)

Ha Gwang-Sik groaned loudly.

“Just who the f*ck is this guy? Seriously!”

“Gimme a break...” Bak Gyu-Yeon tutted at the sight of his senior reporter, Ha Gwang-Sik, busily scratching his head in frustration. “Are you still wasting time on that story, senior?”

Ha Gwang-Sik shot back, “What do you mean, wasting my time?”

“Please stop that, senior. Please.”

“Oiii, looks like you've gotten a bit too full of yourself, eh? Seeing how you dare say stuff like that to your senior and all!”

“Argh... Ten years or twelve years, what difference does that make? Let's not get hung up on technicalities, senior.”

“Once a senior, always a senior, you brat.”

“Uh-whew...” Bak Gyu-Yeon groaned deeply.

It had been several days since MK's grand opening, yet Ha Gwang-Sik still hadn't given up. After admitting that his previous investigation was inaccurate, he started from scratch again and spent every single day digging for any useful information on Kang Jin-Ho.

“Senior?”

Ha Gwang-Sik testily shot back. “What is it?”

Bak Gyu-Yeon tutted softly. “Have you found anything at all?”

“...!” Ha Gwang-Sik grimaced, unable to answer.

Bak Gyu-Yeon wasn’t even remotely surprised. If his senior had uncovered something, anything, he wouldn’t be making that face of a man chewing on cow turd!

“So, senior. Do you think you’ll get something by digging more and more?”

“Are you implying that I won't find anything?!”

“I mean, come on, senior. Those fellas aren’t gonna be sloppy with loose ends. You were there, weren’t you? If politicians and high-flying financiers are really involved with that guy as you suspect, they ain’t gonna leave traces for you to discover like a bunch of amateurs.”

Ha Gwang-Sik frowned deeply and glared at Bak Gyu-Yeon. “What the hell are you saying, you dumbass! Isn't it our job to dig through layers of dirt to uncover the truth? Why are you even calling yourself a reporter with that mindset of yours!”

“What do you mean, why? To put food on my table, of course.”

“What the... Are you deliberately trying to get on my nerves or something!”

Before Ha Gwang-Sik could explode in irritation, someone else suddenly spoke up and interrupted the two reporters.

“What’s wrong with that? You think he’s wrong?”

Ha Gwang-Sik turned around to look before getting up from his chair. “Editor Bae! Good to see you!”

Bae Wu-Hyeon, the editor in charge of Ha Gwang-Sik's department, tutted loudly. “You think reporters are herbivores who can live off grass or something? Of course not! You need money to keep living, don't you! Money, you dumbass!”

Ha Gwang-Sik sheepishly looked away. “...Well, of course. I’m not saying that’s wrong.”

“If you know that, why did you say that? Besides, what have you been doing lately? We aren’t paying you to go on vacations, okay?”

Ha Gwang-Sik wryly grinned. “No, that’s not it, but... I’ve been chasing after a scoop, sir. If I’m right about this, we might have a huge story on our hands.”

“A huge story, eh?”

“Yes. A massive story. Enough to shake the very core of South Korea, and then...”

“Look here, Gwang-Sik,” Bae Wu-Hyeon grunted unhappily.

“Yes?”

“We never asked you to find a huge scoop for us, though?”

“...”

Bae Wu-Hyeon groaned again and again. “Get a grip on yourself, man! Gwang-Sik, you ain’t some wet-behind-the-ears rookie filled with passion anymore. You’ve been slaving away in this field for over a decade now, so how can you be this naive!”

“But this could be the scoop of our...”

“Sure, sure. Getting a scoop is great. However, will getting one scoop be enough to compensate for all the wages you've pilfered from us?”

Ha Gwang-Sik bit down hard on his lip when he heard that.

“So what if you find something big and we publish it? In less than five minutes, we’ll see a flood of copy-pasted articles online, and then much larger news channels will scoop it up and repackage it as them offering analysis and whatever to take over top spots in readership results, anyway! You still want to find big stories when that’s what we’re up against in this era?”

“Hang on! Someone has uncovered the scoop first for all those copy-pasted articles to show up, you know!”

“Sure, but why should we be the ones to do that? When this country is already overflowing with much better-paid journos than us? Your passion ain't gonna pay you your salaries, okay? Why bother taking on so-called big stories that famous reporters can't be bothered to dig into?”

Bae Wu-Hyeon groaned as if his frustration had gotten the better of him.

“Look, man. Aren’t you embarrassed to be around your juniors? Your salary is paid by the revenue those guys bring in, okay? While you’re wasting time upholding your journalistic integrity and whatever, these guys are getting blisters in their fingers while busy typing articles to keep this paper going, okay! Do you understand what I’m trying to say to you!”

“Yes, I do.”

“If you do, what the hell are you doing!”

Ha Gwang-Sik licked his dried lips.

His frustration level surged whenever this topic came up. What annoyed him more was that he could fully understand where Bae Wu-Hyeon was coming from. He wouldn't feel this crappy if he was on the right track while his editor was wrong.

Unfortunately, Ha Gwang-Sik wasn’t naive. He knew reality wasn’t like that.

“But! If we get a big scoop, it’ll change how our paper is perceived by the public. That’s why we should grab this opportunity, and...”

“Gwang-Sik...”

“Yes, editor.”

“Come with me for a sec.”

“...Of course.”

Ha Gwang-Sik sighed deeply and silently followed when Bae Wu-Hyeon took the lead.

Bak Gyu-Yeon slowly shook his head at this sight.

***

“Hey, Gwang-Sik.”

“Yes, editor.”

“How long are you gonna act this way, man?” Bae Wu-Hyeon asked as steam coming from the cups of coffee slightly obscured the view.

Although it was uncommon to see two very grown-ass men chat over cups of coffee, Ha Gwang-Sik was still glad it was not over bottles of booze.

If alcohol got involved here, much harsher words might have been exchanged between the two!

“I can only cover you for so long, man. You think other departments haven't noticed? Do you honestly think the chief editor isn't aware of what you're doing? Come on, man. That dude's job is to sit at his desk and approve articles the whole day long! Obviously, he noticed that not a single article with your name on it has crossed his desk.”

Ha Gwang-Sik wordlessly sipped the coffee. It was hot.

But it wasn’t as hot as his boiling innards!

Bae Wu-Hyeon groaned loudly. “Don’t you know what the higher-ups are saying about you?”

“...No, I do.”

“Really? Then are you doing this, man? Why? In our age group, it's either we get promoted or pushed out. But you? Where can you even move up to? If you get promoted, which is a big if, you'll get a desk job. You know that, don't you?”

“...”

“However, who would want a journo like you for a desk job? With your work ethic? You think you can stay as a field reporter for the rest of your career? Listen here, dammit! Obviously, that ain't gonna happen! You're not getting any younger, while your stamina is falling. And your intuition as a reporter is getting worse...

“Even if it was up to me, I also wouldn’t want to pay old timers like us the same amount as juniors to cover stories in the field, okay! To make matters worse, you get paid more than younger reporters, too!”

Ha Gwang-Sik sneakily looked away outside the windows. It was getting harder to face Bae Wu-Hyeon’s gaze.

The hardest thing to endure for people like Ha Gwang-Sik wasn’t glares of contempt from other people. No, it was when gazes filled with goodwill and genuine concern locked onto them!

“Listen, Gwang-Sik.”

“Yes, editor.”

Bae Wu-Hyeon sighed, then scratched his head. “Yes, I get that people need to dream. I get it, okay? You, me, we both were fresh rookies once, filled with passion and whatnot. Didn’t we swear to change this corrupted country for the better, even though we were armed with nothing but some cheap-ass pen and a memo pad?”

“...”

“I’m not saying that’s wrong, okay? That could be the right mindset. No, wait. That should be the right mindset. However, we can’t just live off doing the right thing all the time. We gotta worry about putting food on the table before we can be all noble and stuff.

“I ain’t gonna be the only one in trouble if my pursuit of dreams goes down the drain, okay? I wouldn’t be here talking to you if I only had myself to worry about. I would be out there, busy uncovering all the skeletons in the closet of those f*ckers!”

Ha Gwang-Sik slowly nodded. “Yes, I know you’d have done that. That was your style, after all.”

Bae Wu-Hyeon’s expression crumpled in frustration. “But I have mouths to feed now, don’t I! If I lose my job, how will I keep a roof over my kids’ heads? What about my wife? And how will I support my parents!”

“...”

“I ain't the only one, though. What about you? Don't you have a family, too? What about your parents?”

Ha Gwang-Sik sighed. “What the... Why the sudden dig at my family situation, boss?”

“I ain’t in no mood to crack jokes with you, man.”

Ha Gwang-Sik ruefully smacked his lips. He tried, but the mood remained as strained as before.

“So, it's about time you stop this, Gwang-Sik. It's enough. If you really wanna keep doing this stuff, get a desk job. Or go even higher up in the hierarchy. Do it when you have enough power to cover your ass when sh*t goes sideways. Or you'll get fired, okay?”

Now that he was done talking, Bae Wu-Hyeon shot up to his feet and got ready to leave. However...

“Hold on, boss. Don’t be like this, and...”

“I’m done talking, man.”

“Editor Bae!” Ha Gwang-Sik reached across the table to grab Bae Wu-Hyeon’s sleeve.

Bae Wu-Hyeon glanced at the hand stopping him. “Let go.”

“...Before I do that, can you tell me how long I have left?”

“Say what?”

“I want to know how long I have left.”

Bae Wu-Hyeon’s eyes progressively opened wider after realizing what Ha Gwang-Sik meant. However, even though his editor stared openly in disbelief like this, Ha Gwang-Sik didn’t shy away from meeting that gaze.

Bae Wu-Hyeon groaned deeply. “You crazy son of a b*tch...!”

“Well, at least you know I'm crazy,” Ha Gwang-Sik chuckled while releasing Bae Wu-Hyeon's sleeve. “Yes, I know you're completely right. I know that I gotta live that way to meet the bare minimum requirement of a functioning adult in South Korea. It's just that...”

Ha Gwang-Sik roughly scratched his head while looking mischievous.

“What can I do when this is what I am?”

“What you are? What you are is an irresponsible moron, that’s what! Don’t try to blame what you are on your irresponsible nature, okay! You think other people are born obsessed with making money?”

“Eiii, I didn't mean it that way,” Ha Gwang-Sik jokingly waved his hand. “In any case, can you tell me straight how long I have left in this place?”

“Hah, seriously...” Bae Wu-Hyeon helplessly shook his head, then exited the cafe without saying anything else. Ha Gwang-Sik also followed his editor outside with a casual gait.

Once the two men stepped into a deserted area just around the corner, Bae Wu-Hyeon mouthed a fresh cigarette. Ha Gwang-Sik wordlessly lit it up with his lighter.

After taking a couple of long puffs, Bae Wu-Hyeon glanced at his reporter. “At the longest, two months. Tops.”

“Only two months?” Ha Gwang-Sik frowned. “That’s too short, isn’t it? After all the stuff I’ve done for the paper...”

“Oh? And what exactly have you done for the paper?”

“...I’m sure I must’ve done something.”

Bae Wu-Hyeon glared as if he was dealing with a total nutcase, prompting Ha Gwang-Sik to feign ignorance by whistling and looking away.

“Never mind two months, you might not even have a month left at this rate!” Bae Wu-Hyeon tutted loudly. “Giving you two months means even my position will be at stake, too.”

“That’ll be an overkill, though.”

“Fine. Then, one month. Max.”

“A month, you say...” Ha Gwang-Sik slowly nodded. “Since things have come to this, gimme permission to do whatever I want for one month. And assign Gyu-Yeon to work for me, too.”

“...Oii, have you lost your freaking mind?”

“It's not like getting fired from here is the end of the road for me, no? If all else fails, I can just push a food cart around for a living. I've saved up enough for one, after all,” Ha Gwang-Sik smirked while mouthing a cigarette.

Bae Wu-Hyeon shook his head at how incorrigible Ha Gwang-Sik was. Then again, this reporter never had been the type to listen to other people’s advice, anyway!

“Gwang-Sik... Is this scoop really worth it?”

Ha Gwang-Sik casually shrugged. “I’m not sure.”

Bae Wu-Hyeon scowled deeply. “...Say what?”

“It’s like I’m dealing with an unknown treasure chest. There’s definitely something in there, but nobody knows if we’ll get treasures or dokkaebis when we open it.”[1]

“What the hell, man! Are you seriously risking your job over something like this?”

“Isn’t that what being a reporter is all about?”

“What? Listen here, man!”

“No, hang on. I get it. I know that the era has changed. But editor, here's how I feel. If my job was something else, something that's not related to journalism, then sure, I'd have been worried about protecting my salaries. However, as long as I am a reporter, I don't want to be scared off by the prospect of losing my job. Besides, it's not like you guys pay me a lot, anyway. In fact, you could even say rats get paid more than me.”

“Say what, you as*hole!”

“That’s why, let me have this one. Look the other way while I do what I must do. At least you can do that for me, right? When you know all I’ve done for this paper.”

“...” Bae Wu-Hyeon stared intently at Ha Gwang-Sik without saying a word before shaking his head in defeat. “Fine, fine! Do whatever you want, you bastard. However! If you don’t find anything in a month, you better show up with a letter of resignation, okay!”

“Can you give me ten extra days?”

“I don't care! Do whatever you want!” Bae Wu-Hyeon tutted loudly while turning around to leave.

Ha Gwang-Sik watched the back of his editor while silently puffing away at his cigarette. It felt like no one wanted to help him. And his opponents were expertly hidden within sheer darkness.

However, so what? Wasn’t this what the life of a reporter was all about?

Ha Gwang-Sik had no thoughts of whining here. Didn't his predecessors during the military regime days throw their everything into uncovering the truth even as their lives and their families were threatened with bodily harm?

Anyone whining about being scared in the current peaceful era didn't deserve to be called a reporter.

“F*cking hell. What a goddamn lonely road this is.”

Ha Gwang-Sik flicked the cigarette away in annoyance, then headed back to the office, his hands stabbed deep into his pockets.

Winds that had gotten a lot chillier lately embraced his lonely figure.

1. Dokkaebi is a supernatural creature from Korean folklore. Also known as the “Korean goblin”, it possesses extraordinary powers that can be used to either trick or help humans. ☜