The Imperial Hunter

Chapter 9.2 - President (1)

The day had changed. Today, January 7th, twenty days had passed since the negotiation in Daegu. I was sitting in a car driven by Kyung-tae’s subordinates, traveling on an inland road in central California. There was no change in the concentration of magic power.

Throughout the journey from Los Angeles heading north, all I could see were vineyards and orange orchards, making for a monotonous road. Kyung-tae, who sat beside me, idly scrolled through his phone, and his expression suddenly changed when we passed through a cliff-lined area with a breathtaking view.

“Wow. The scenery just drastically changed.”

I took my eyes off my tablet and looked out the window. There, a lake with a vivid blue color still shimmered amidst the continuous drought. The yellowed shores were probably due to the current cold season.

“It’s a shame Suyeon-noonim isn’t here, Hyungnim.”

“She’s joining us in a few days anyway.”

“Even so.”

Suyeon was still in South Korea. She was busy coordinating the New Year operational plans for the organization’s subordinate units and facilities as the secretary-general of the organization’s headquarters.

There had been various things to deal with recently. The Yankees at Camp Henry had agreed to expand the deal, and during the four-day New Year organization meeting held on January 2nd, I gathered the mid-level officers to present the organization’s management policies for the future. It was up to Suyeon and the staff officers and key executives to specify these policies. The decisions of the people I selected were essentially my decisions.

Kyung-tae turned his head toward me. It seemed like he was expecting something.

“By the way, how did you like the novels I recommended?”

“Well.”

I glanced away from the tablet for a moment and looked across the scenery.

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“They aren’t proving to be very helpful.”

“Is that so…”

“Don’t be disappointed; I didn’t have high expectations to begin with.”

I usually didn’t get close to novels, and the reason was simple. It was a form of reading that involved a lot of waste. Novels generally prioritized delivering emotions and excitement over conveying knowledge, which was the opposite of what I sought in books.

However, after thinking about what Kyung-tae had mentioned in Daegu, I considered that a novelist’s imaginative thinking might be helpful in preparing for the future.

‘Because there have been real cases.’

In 2001, the collapse of the Twin Towers due to the 9/11 terrorist attacks had a significant impact on the global crime market. At that time, I had been regularly receiving academic journals from several think tanks for market forecasting, and one of them was the American Studies Journal from the American Studies Association (ASA). (+)^[1]TLN: A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture.

I probably read about it there.

Under the title of “Cultural Imaginations of Terrorism” or something like that, a short essay, written just a month after the terrorist attacks, explained what the U.S. Department of Defense had asked Hollywood figures to do. According to the essay, the Pentagon had requested a group brainstorming session from the movie industry. What would terrorists target in the future? How would their plots be executed? And how could these plots be prevented?

The author of the paper stated that this plan was triggered by a single novel. The content of the novel closely resembled the patterns of the terrorist attack, and it was even mentioned on CNN news on the day of the attack. The author of that novel was Tom Clancy.

Kyung-tae scratched his head.

“The list I gave you wasn’t just my personal recommendations.”

“What I wanted was unrelated to the novel’s artistic completeness.”

“I know, I know.”

I felt a glance from up ahead. Sitting in the co-driver’s seat was a mid-level officer from the secretary’s office whom Suyeon had sent to take her place. He held the rank of deputy chief. He was a friend who had eaten the rice given by the organization much longer than the one in a higher position right now, Suyeon. The guy sitting in the driver’s seat was also taller than Kyung-tae.

I met the guy’s eyes through the rearview mirror.

“Hong Young-sik, do you have something to say?”

“N-No.”

“Go ahead. Don’t beat around the bush.”

“It’s really nothing, Chairman. I was just amazed to see the head of the security team treating you so comfortably from up close.”

“What’s important is the intention, not the form. Even if I tell you that, it’s because you guys lack confidence in yourselves and can’t accept it. Being cautious and polite externally makes you more attentive, and that caution naturally shows in your actions.”

“I see your point, sir.”

Deputy Chief Hong agreed respectfully.

“If I may offer an excuse for everyone, Chairman, you see, he can see through us, but we don’t know how we appear to ourselves. So, rather than knowing how we’ll appear to others, we focus on maintaining appearances, and that caution naturally affects our behavior.”

I nodded my head.

“I’m not saying to be lax. A careful attitude is a good thing… What I mean is, if you’re confident that you won’t reveal your true self, then you can act like Kyung-tae without a problem.”

“I’ll do better, sir.”

“Good.”

Sticking to formalities didn’t necessarily increase the organization’s efficiency. Wasn’t the old Japanese Imperial Army the second-rate army because of a lack of discipline?

Anyway, I was irreplaceable within the organization, and the abilities I possessed gave me an invincible status. So, there was no reason for my subordinates to act like hard-asses.

I paused for a moment and then asked another question.

“Have you gotten used to working under Suyeon? It must have been awkward since you’re quite a bit younger.”

Deputy Chief Hong responded as if the question caught him off guard.

“It was awkward, yes. Even when I was the department head, I had to push this guy; otherwise, he said it was job obstruction. The chairman couldn’t have been more wrong about someone. It’s just that Director Kang expresses her emotions in such a dry manner… You know what I mean, right? Anyway, it was a bit difficult to deal with her at first. It lasted about a year… Rather than saying it was awkward, it’s more accurate to say it was difficult.”

“That’s fortunate.”

At that moment, a radio transmission came in through the in-car receiver from the lead vehicle upfront. They reported that they had passed through the park entrance. Despite keeping a wide gap between the lead and follow-up vehicles to avoid suspicion, the supported location was only a minute away.

The car I was in soon reached the park entrance. A staff member collected a $35 toll fee and handed us a pass through the window.

“It’s a pass valid for seven days. Attach it to the inside of your front windshield so that it’s clearly visible from the outside.”

“Understood. Thank you, sir.”

“Have a great trip.”

The guy in the driver’s seat exchanged polite greetings with the staff member. The car began to drive toward the Sequoia forest on the other side of the mountains.

• 1. TLN: A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture.

Disclaimer:

This novel is a work of fiction! While it may incorporate elements inspired by our "real" historical world, including historical events, settings, and cultures, it is important to note that the story and characters are entirely products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to real persons, living or deceased, or actual events is purely coincidental. This work should be enjoyed and interpreted as a work of fiction and not as a representation of historical facts or reality.

Also, if you find some error in translation please do let me know by tagging me (@_dawn24) in our Discord server. Since this series is kinda hard to translate. But I'll try my best to make it at least readable :)

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